INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Members: Subsistence Claims

Robert Flello: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the value was of subsistence claims processed on behalf of hon. Members for the most recent year in which figures are available.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 14 January 2013
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the value of MPs' subsistence claims processed by IPSA in the last financial year.
	These claims are published on our website at:
	www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk
	During the 2011/12 financial year we paid claims to a value of £61,541.64 for MPs' subsistence, £52,512.39 for MPs' interns' subsistence and £2,815.89 for MPs' staff members' subsistence.

Members: Subsistence Claims

Robert Flello: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the cost was of processing subsistence claims on behalf of hon. Members in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 14 January 2013
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the cost of processing MPs' subsistence claims in the last financial year.
	We do not hold—and it is not possible separately to calculate—figures on the cost to process a subsistence claim specifically, but we estimate that the cost of processing a claim in 2012/13 will be, on average:
	£4.60, if salary costs of those directly involved in the operation of processing claims are taken into account; and
	£12.32, if overheads and corporate costs are added to those direct costs.
	These estimates are based on a methodology agreed with the National Audit Office.

Members: Subsistence Claims

Robert Flello: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many subsistence claims were processed on behalf of hon. Members in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 14 January 2013
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of MPs' subsistence claims processed by IPSA.
	During the 2011/12 financial year we paid 5,527 claim lines for MPs' subsistence, 9,743 claim lines for MPs' interns' subsistence and 271 claim lines for MPs' staff members' subsistence.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Outreach

Jim Sheridan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the effectiveness of the Parliamentary Outreach Service.

John Thurso: The Parliamentary Outreach Service promotes public understanding of, and engagement with, the work of both Houses of Parliament. On average it runs over 500 public workshops a year throughout the UK, in addition to facilitating Select Committee visits away from Westminster. Recent developments include: the production of a series of resources for use by adults with learning disabilities and their advocates; a training-the-trainer programme, and services and resources aimed at staff and students from universities across the UK. The latter is particularly popular: the Outreach Service now engages with 137 universities and colleges and demand far exceeds the Service's capability to supply.
	Feedback is routinely gathered from those attending outreach sessions, which are closely monitored to ensure that the Service continues to meet the needs of the public. Over 90% of people taking part feel they have a greater understanding of Parliament's work and that they feel better able to engage with Parliament. The work of the Outreach Service was recognised in the recent Liaison Committee Report, ‘Select committee effectiveness, resources and powers’, which noted that:
	“Committees have been greatly assisted in this [public engagement] work by the Regional Officers of the Parliamentary Outreach Service.”
	The House of Commons Commission, and the Administration and Finance and Services Committees, regularly reviews the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided by the House Administration, including the Outreach Service. The House of Commons Commission Annual Report highlights the contribution that parliamentary outreach makes to achieving the House's strategic aims. The House Administration monitors a number of key performance indicators for the Outreach Service.

TRANSPORT

Cycling: Accidents

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the number of cyclists seriously injured on roads.

Stephen Hammond: The Government takes the safety of cyclists very seriously. In 2012 the Government announced a £15 million fund to improve safety for cyclists outside London, by tackling dangerous junctions. This was in addition to the £15 million fund awarded to Transport for London in March for the same purpose. Furthermore, part of the recently announced £20 million in cycle funding will go towards tackling dangerous junctions.
	We have provided £600 million through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to support local authorities in their use of transport to lever growth and cut carbon at the local level. The majority of the 96 projects have a cycling element. This year, we have committed £11 million for Bikeability training to help a new generation of cyclists gain the skills and knowledge they need to cycle safely and competently on today's roads. This funding will help more than 275,000 school children to access training.
	We have also made it easier for councils to put in place 20 mph zones and limits, and to install Trixi mirrors to improve the visibility of cyclists at junctions. Last September I launched the ‘THINK CYCLIST!' campaign, which offers advice to drivers and cyclists on how to stay safe on the road.

M1

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost is of the new traffic calming measures incorporating a series of speed cameras on the southern end of the M1.

Stephen Hammond: holding answer 10 January 2013
	The range estimate for the entire M1 Junction 10 to 13 improvement scheme is £412 million (minimum) to £504 million (maximum).
	The speed enforcement camera system is an integral part of the new technologies provided to manage traffic flow, reduce congestion and allow use of the hard shoulder at peak times, and its cost is not separately identified.

M6

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what enquiries he has made of the (a) Highways Agency and (b) Staffordshire police authority about the delays on the M6 on Christmas Day.

Stephen Hammond: The incident on the M6 between junction 14-15 on Christmas Day was a police led incident as it involved multiple fatalities. I have asked for a full debrief to take place into the incident; this will be completed within the next few weeks. It will include the Highways Agency, Staffordshire police and the other emergency services involved. The investigation will assess all the aspects of the incident including the time taken to re-open the carriageway.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many previously foreign registered vehicles were re-registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The following table provides the number of vehicles registered at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency previously registered outside the United Kingdom, for each of the last five financial years.
	
		
			 Financial year Volumes 
			 2011-12 59,405 
			 2010-11 63,604 
			 2009-10 65,235 
			 2008-09 75,101 
			 2007-08 95,038

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the annual budget is for placing new chevrons on motorways for the purpose of encouraging safer spacing between moving cars;
	(2)  how many miles of chevrons designed to encourage safer spacing between moving cars there are on the (a) M1, (b) M3, (c) M4, (d) M5, (e) M6 and (f) M25.

Stephen Hammond: holding answer 10 January 2013
	There is not a specific budget allocated for the painting of white chevrons for vehicle spacing. Where considered appropriate, the cost of placing new chevrons on motorways would be included as part of a carriageway renewal scheme.
	For the motorways listed there are approximately 45 miles of painted white chevrons to remind drivers to keep a safe distance apart:
	M1: three miles
	M3: none
	M4: 14.8 miles
	M5: 15.5 miles
	M6: 11.7 miles
	M25: none.

Railways: Public Holidays

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with rail operators regarding the running of services on Boxing Day.

Norman Baker: Rail Franchisees are under no obligation to operate services on Boxing Day, but are at liberty to propose doing so. We have had discussions with Southeastern on their plans to run an experimental service on Boxing Day 2012, but have not recently discussed with the industry as a whole the issue of whether to run Boxing Day services across the network.

Shipping: Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many new jobs directly created in the maritime industry there were in each year since 2008-09; and how many such jobs were filled by (a) UK seafarer ratings, (b) UK seafarer officers, (c) EEA seafarer ratings, (d) EEA seafarer officers, (e) non-EEA seafarer ratings and (f) non-EEA seafarer officers in each such year;
	(2)  what proportion of new jobs directly created in the maritime industry in each year since 2008-09 were on (a) UK-registered and (b) non-UK-registered vessels in the tonnage tax scheme;
	(3)  what proportion of new jobs directly created in the maritime industry in each year since 2008-09 were on (a) UK-registered and (b) non-UK-registered vessels outside the tonnage tax scheme;
	(4)  what proportion of new jobs directly created in the maritime industry in each year since 2008-09 were based in (a) UK ports, (b) shipping services and (c) other maritime business services;
	(5)  what the total number of jobs was on (a) UK-registered and (b) non-UK-registered ships in the tonnage tax scheme in each year since 2001-02;
	(6)  how many new jobs there were on (a) UK-registered and (b) non-UK-registered ships in the tonnage tax scheme in each year since 2001-02; and how many such jobs were filled by (i) UK seafarer ratings, (ii) UK seafarer officers, (iii) EEA seafarer ratings, (iv) EEA seafarer officers, (v) non-EEA seafarer ratings and (vi) non-EEA seafarer officers.

Stephen Hammond: The Department only holds figures for seafarers employed in the deck and engine departments on vessels in the tonnage tax. The numbers of such seafarer jobs, as currently reported to us by companies and groups for each tonnage tax training commitment year, are as follows:
	
		
			 Training commitment year(1) UK registered ships Non-UK registered ships 
			 2003-04 6,421 6,027 
			 2004-05 7,561 5,962 
			 2005-06 7,143 7,,669 
			 2006-07 7,955 8,667 
			 2007-08 8,497 9,818 
			 2008-09 8,778 10,139 
			 2009-10 8,900 9,992 
			 2010-11 8,534 9,834 
			 2011-12 8,227 11,396 
			 2012-13 7,765 12,159 
			 (1) The number of seafarers employed on vessels in tonnage tax was 9,666 in 2001-02 and 11,818 in 2002-03; a breakdown of these figures by UK and non-UK registered ships is not available. 
		
	
	We do not hold the other information requested.

Unemployed People: Travel

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to assist the unemployed with the cost of travel;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the needs of jobseekers in relation to the costs of bus travel.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport (DfT) has been working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to help jobseekers back into work. Jobcentre Plus already offers a range of transport support, such as covering the cost of a jobseeker's essential transport - for example, travel to training and interviews.
	DfT encourages bus operators to look at the fare deals they can offer to young people looking for work. I am pleased that bus operators are taking part in the Bus for Jobs initiative in January 2013, and I look forward to seeing other offers in the future.
	In addition, concessionary travel legislation gives local authorities the flexibility to offer discretionary local travel concessions such as free or discounted travel to jobseekers.

Unemployed People: Travel

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has provided for Jobcentre Plus staff on the Bus for Jobs initiative.

Norman Baker: The Department for Work and Pensions provided Jobcentre Plus staff with operational guidance and instructions which included information on participating companies and the areas where the free travel is available. Guidance and information was in place three weeks before the initiative started and a wide range of internal publicity was delivered to publicise the initiative when it was formally announced by "Greener Journeys".

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Argentina

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what position her Department has taken at the World Bank regarding the granting of further loans to Argentina.

Alan Duncan: There have been no new loans to Argentina tabled at the World Bank since September 2011. There are also currently no new loans scheduled. The UK has not supported recent proposals for projects in Argentina proposed at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Bangladesh

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the working conditions and rights of labourers in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh.

Alan Duncan: DFID has not carried out its own assessment of working conditions. A Bangladeshi Non-Governmental Organisation, funded by UK aid, carried out an assessment of working conditions in the ready-made garments and construction industries in April 2010.
	The study, which compared Bangladeshi labour law and practice to international standards, proposed reforms in the labour law to protect the rights of workers in areas such as workplace safety, wages, benefits, and harassment and unfair treatment of women. Following this study, the national minimum wage for garment workers was increased in 2011. We are aware of other reports that have raised similar issues.

Consultants

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's spending on suppliers is spent on private consultants.

Justine Greening: The Department for International Development uses a wide range of organisations to deliver programmes including non-governmental organisations, multilaterals and other suppliers.

Ecuador

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what purpose the loan from the Government to Ecuador issued in 1988 was applied and used for; what the value of this loan was; and whether the granting of this loan was dependent on the subsequent purchase of goods or services manufactured in part, or wholly, in the UK.

Alan Duncan: Records from this time are held by the National Archives and cannot be obtained in time for the deadline to this question. The National Archive website contains an item reference FO 93/31/35 entitled 'Exchange of Notes on Certain Commercial Debts The United Kingdom/Ecuador Debt Agreement (no. 3) (1988) Place of Signing: London'. DFID has requested this record to be retrieved.

Palestine Media Watch

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has made any assessment of the work of Palestinian Media Watch.

Alan Duncan: Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) publish reports on a number of issues that are important to DFID. We consider the issues raised seriously, however we do not normally carry out comprehensive assessments of the work of individual lobby groups and have not done so in this case.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of whether UK aid provided to the Palestinian Authority is being used to pay the salaries of prisoners.

Alan Duncan: UK assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) supports a successful middle east peace process by helping build Palestinian institutions and promoting economic growth, so that any future state will be stable, prosperous, well-run, and an effective partner for peace with Israel. This is provided subject to a number of safeguards.
	As requested by the Israeli authorities the PA pays an allowance to cover the cost of food and clothing for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The PA also provides social welfare payments to the families of prisoners. We support the provision of welfare payments to innocent families who have lost a breadwinner, and we continue to encourage the PA at the highest levels to ensure that these payments are transparent, needs-based and affordable.

Procurement

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes her Department's top 12 outside suppliers have pledged to make following her Department's internal review of the use of private consultants announced in September 2012.

Justine Greening: In November I met with DFID's largest suppliers to start a process of working with them individually and collectively to get better value for money. That work is ongoing.

Procurement

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of supplier contracts to her Department had a monetary value of more than £1 million in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Justine Greening: Contracts with a value of more than £1 million made up 95% of the value of all contracts awarded by Procurement Group in 2011-12.

Procurement

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the minimum value is at which the granting of a supplier contract by a department requires a competitive tendering process.

Justine Greening: Competitive quotes are required for all purchases over £1,000 unless otherwise agreed.

St Helena

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the government of the island of St Helena about providing the island with broadband internet; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID officials are in regular contact with the St Helena Government about the proposed fibre-optic cable link that would bring broadband to the island.
	The UK Government recognises that a fibre-optic cable connection could bring faster, more reliable global broadband connectivity to St Helena, which could have a positive impact on economic development on the island in addition to the airport investment.
	If the developer can secure the private sector finance to proceed with the main line of the cable connecting South Africa and Brazil, then a full economic assessment would be needed to consider the extent of the economic and social benefits that linking St Helena to this line could bring. DFID would consider this evidence against the availability of funds and other bids for our resources.

SCOTLAND

Energy

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last discussed energy charges for the third sector with the representatives of the six largest energy providers.

David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers have regular meetings with representatives of the six largest energy providers during which energy charges are discussed. At the end of this month the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), will host the latest in a series of fuel poverty summits bringing together consumer groups, energy suppliers, Ofgem, DECC and the Scottish Government.

Income Tax

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2012, Official Report, column 285W, on income tax personal allowance, what estimate he has made of the total value that will be added to the Scottish economy as a result of the planned change to the income tax personal allowance.

Michael Moore: The 2012 autumn statement announced that from 1 April 2013, the personal allowance will rise by a further £235 to £9,440. This is additional to the £1,100 increase previously announced at Budget 2012.
	This further increase will benefit 2.2 million people in Scotland by an average of £47, and will lift an additional 21,000 people out of income tax entirely.
	The increase to the personal allowance will reduce income tax for low and middle income individuals in Scotland, improving incentives to enter employment and increasing real household disposable incomes. This may feed through to higher consumption or savings in the household sector. Overall employment outcomes in Scotland will also depend on other measures announced relating to personal tax and national insurance contributions, as well as aggregate labour demand and the performance of the wider economy.

Official Visits

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many official visits within Scotland were made by (a) Ministers, (b) staff and (c) special advisers of his Department in each of the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such visit.

David Mundell: Information on meetings that the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), special advisers and I have had with external organisations is published on the Scotland Office website, in accordance with this Government's commitment to transparency, at:
	http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/14542.html
	Records up to June 2012 are published and the information for the rest of 2012 will be published in due course.
	The Scotland Office does not centrally record the accumulative cost associated with each individual visit.

Visits Abroad

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what overseas visits he plans to make in the next 12 months.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), plans to visit Brazil in March to participate in a major UKTI-organised Energy Showcase where he will promote the work of the Scottish oil and gas sector, as well as other Scottish businesses. He will also be joined by and support a Glasgow city council sponsored trade mission to promote links and business opportunities between Glasgow and Brazil.

WALES

Olympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister in the Welsh Government on the legacy in Wales of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the legacy in Wales of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics; and if he will make a statement.

David Jones: The Wales Office has been in correspondence with both the First Minister and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), about the role the Welsh Government can play in developing a lasting Olympics legacy in Wales.
	The legacy programme offers benefits to the whole of the UK and provides an excellent opportunity to capitalise on the momentum and success of the events in Cardiff and across Wales.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Civil Disorder

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for compensation under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 were made following the public disorder in 2011; how many (a) were accepted in full, (b) were accepted in part, (c) were refused and (d) are still outstanding.

Damian Green: Decisions and payments on Riot (Damages) Act 1886 claims are entirely the responsibility of Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). The Government have worked very closely with various parties to ensure that victims are fully compensated. As of early January, the summary information received from Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners show the vast majority of people affected have received compensation.
	Uninsured:
	PCCs currently have only 13 uninsured cases outstanding of the 577 cases they originally received from the Home Office bureau and direct from claimants (around 2%).
	711 new claims were received from individuals who were originally insured and now their insurance company has repudiated their claim for reasons such as under insurance. 30 of these cases remain ongoing (about 4%).
	Insured:
	Over 98% of household property damage claims have been settled by their insurers.
	93% of small to medium size businesses have received settlement or interim payments from insurers.
	99% of large commercial claims have received settlement or interim payments from insurers.
	PCC payments to Insurers:
	Of the 3,925 claims from insurance companies for reimbursement of costs 377 remain (around 10% of original total).

Communications Data Bill (Draft)

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 16W, on Communications Data Bill: draft, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment of the draft Communications Data Bill for businesses based in the UK and for investment in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 14 January 2013
	An impact assessment for the draft Communications Data Bill was published on the Home Office website on 14 June 2012 to coincide with publication of the draft Bill. The Home Office will complete a new impact assessment to accompany a redrafted Bill, in line with the recommendation from the Joint Committee that completed scrutiny on the draft Bill. If the Bill is approved by Parliament, the Government will keep the impact on business of any new obligations under review.

Deportation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 778W, on immigration controls, how many foreign nationals subject to deportation orders visas to remain in the UK have expired;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals subject to a deportation order have criminal convictions for offences committed in the UK;
	(3)  what the nationality is of each of the foreign nationals subject to a deportation order.

Mark Harper: Under the 1971 Immigration Act a deportation order invalidates any leave to enter or remain in the UK given to an individual before an order is made or while it is in force.
	All foreign national offenders subject to a deportation order have criminal convictions in the UK. Since 2006, the UK Border Agency has removed over 28,000 foreign national offenders. It is our policy not to disclose the countries to which we remove or deport foreign national offenders as this could jeopardise our continuing ability to do so.

DNA and Fingerprints: Databases

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the retention of DNA and fingerprints taken from innocent people.

James Brokenshire: The Government wants to protect privacy and human rights while maintaining effective databases that protect the public and reduce crime. We have therefore passed legislation under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to end the indefinite retention of DNA profiles and fingerprints taken from people never convicted of a criminal offence. Under the Act, such indefinite retention will apply only to adults convicted of a recordable offence. Those charged with specified serious offences ('qualifying offences'), but not convicted, may have their DNA profiles and fingerprints retained for three years. Those arrested for qualifying offences but not charged or convicted may have their DNA profiles and fingerprints retained for three years, but only with the agreement of the Biometric Commissioner. Those under 18 convicted only for a first minor offence will have their DNA profiles and fingerprints retained for five years, plus the length of any custodial sentence given.
	I made a written ministerial statement, published on 13 December 2012, Official Report, columns 57-58WS, providing details of the timetable for implementation of this Act, under which the vast majority of innocent people's DNA and fingerprints will be deleted by September and legislative commencement will take place no later than October.

Drugs: Misuse

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will assess the classification that Sativex would be given under her Department's drug classification scheme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what contracts the Government holds with GW Pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of health risk posed by Sativex and herbal cannabis.

Jeremy Browne: ‘Sativex’ is a medicinal product derived from cannabis, a controlled Class B Schedule 1 drug, and is subject to the same control restrictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has published advice to Government on cannabis and, for the purposes of scheduling under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended), Sativex. This advice can be found at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/acmd/
	The Government have accepted the ACMD’s advice that Sativex has a low misuse potential and should be re-scheduled to Schedule 4 of the 2001 Regulations.
	The Home Office and its agencies do not hold any contracts with GW Pharmaceuticals. I am unable to comment on contractual arrangements between other Departments and third parties.

Entry Clearances

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) applications were made and (b) grants of family visas were awarded in respect of the category of (i) child (probationary period), (ii) child (indefinite leave to enter), (iii) partner (probationary period), (iv) partner (indefinite leave to enter) and (v) other adult and elderly dependants (indefinite leave to enter) between 1 January and 30 June 2012; and what the aggregate rate of grant of applications was in that period.

Mark Harper: Information on applications and entry clearance visas issued for 2012 on a quarterly basis, is planned to be published on 28 February 2013, as part of the Home Office's quarterly Immigration Statistics release.
	The figures for family visas provided in response to this question and appearing in the following tables are from the latest available published statistics.
	
		
			 Family route entry clearance visa applications, resolution(1) and issue, 2011 
			 Family route Applications Resolved Issued Proportion issued (percentage) 
			 Partner 36,205 40,499 33,480 83 
			 Partner (for settlement)(2) 1,559 1,505 1,324 88 
			 Child(3) 113 110 97 88 
			 Child (for settlement)(2) 6,835 7,045 4,584 65 
			 Other(4) 5,151 5,709 4,307 75 
			 Other (for settlement)(2,5) 2,653 2,743 1,885 69 
			 Total 52,516 57,611 45,677 79 
		
	
	
		
			 Family route entry clearance visas issued, 2012 Q1 and Q2 
			  2012 
			 Family route Q1 Q2 
			 Partner 8,022 7,995 
			 Partner (for settlement)(2) 318 307 
			 Child(3) 19 11 
			 Child (for settlement)(2) 1,108 1,118 
			 Other(4) 922 871 
			 Other (for settlement)(2,5) 499 413 
			 Total 10,888 10,715 
			 (1) The information provided relates to applications received and cases resolved in the calendar year 2011. Some applications received may be resolved in a subsequent year. (2) Relates to visas issued for Indefinite Leave to Enter the United Kingdom. (3) Does not include children of a parent given limited leave to enter or remain in the UK for a probationary period. (4) Relates to those given Limited Leave to Enter as pre-existing family members of those recognised as Refugees or afforded Humanitarian Protection. (5) Relates to those dependants who are not partners or children, such as adult relatives and Ghurkhas and their dependants. Elderly adult dependent relatives cannot be separately identified from published entry clearance figures. Note: Figures for visa applications are published on annual basis in the release ‘Immigration Statistics’. Source: Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012 
		
	
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in the release Immigration Statistics July to September 2012, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/

Entry Clearances

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people applying for a Tier 1 visa in the UK are currently waiting more than four weeks for a decision on their application to be made;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for Tier 1 visa applications made inside the UK was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how many such people waited more than four weeks for a decision on their application.

Mark Harper: The following table gives the average processing time for tier 1 cases despatched each year between January 2010 and December 2012.
	
		
			 Despatch year Processing time calendar days 
			 2010 30 
			 2011 42 
			 2012 83 
		
	
	The number of cases despatched after four weeks is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Despatch year Number of cases 
			 2010 25,338 
			 2011 57,364 
			 2012 63,704 
		
	
	As of 9 January 2013 a total of 6,546 tier 1 applications have been waiting more than four weeks for a decision. This is outside our service standard to decide 90% of applications within four weeks of the applicant attending a biometric appointment. A plan is in place to address this by the end of March 2013.
	All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the applicants who applied for sponsor status between 1 July and 30 September 2012 have had a decision made on their application by points-based system tier.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 December 2012
	The data requested is not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports. However the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics on a quarterly and annual basis, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House.

Extradition

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals for people charged with having committed crimes in other countries first to have evidence of such presented to UK courts before being extradited; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the reintroduction of a prima facie evidential requirement before a person can be extradited from the UK. Prima facie evidence is defined as evidence which would be sufficient to warrant a person's trial if the conduct for which extradition is sought had taken place in the UK. Currently, the UK requires prima facie evidence from 69 of our extradition partners.
	As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), made clear to the House on 16 October 2012, Official Report, columns 164-80, the Government has no plans to reintroduce the prima facie evidence test for other countries where it is not currently required. However, the Government agrees with the Baker review that the designation of Part 2 countries under the Extradition Act 2003 be periodically reviewed to take into account adverse extradition decisions of courts responsible for monitoring compliance with international human rights standards.

Police Stations: Croydon

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had on the closure or sale of police station buildings in Croydon North since May 2010; and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Damian Green: Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the number and operating hours of police stations and any disposal of such premises, are matters for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
	It is important not to confuse buildings with the availability and accessibility of the police. There are many good examples of forces doing far more with their money by finding new forms of public contact. These include the new non-emergency number, 101, the internet, or contact in places such as supermarket surgeries, where thousands of people, rather than the very few who may come in to a police station, can meet the police.

Police: Equipment

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she holds on how much is spent on police equipment budgets.

Damian Green: Information about police expenditure on equipment is available on the website of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants at:
	www.cipfastats.net

Police: Training

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which formal training received by a police officer is also run for the benefit of both fire and ambulance officers.

Damian Green: holding answer 14 January 2013
	Police training is a matter for the College of Policing and individual police forces to determine. This may include training with other emergency services and responders where appropriate.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on how many occasions the conditions of a terrorism prevention and investigation measure were breached in the last 12 months; and in how many such cases the Crown Prosecution Service has been consulted about bringing a prosecution under section 23 of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011;
	(2)  how many individuals subject to a terrorism prevention and investigation measure have been charged with a criminal offence in the UK since introduction of the measures; how many such individuals she expects to be charged in the next 12 months; how many have been deported; and how many cases relating to such individuals have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 14 January 2013
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), reports to Parliament on the exercise of her powers under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 on a quarterly basis and I refer the hon. Lady to the statements dated 26 March 2012, Official Report, column 94WS, 19 June 2012, Official Report, column 56WS, 7 September 2012, Official Report, column 39WS, and 6 December 2012, Official Report, column 80WS, which confirm the number of individuals charged with breaching their TPIM measures during the period from 15 December 2011 to 30 November 2012.
	These statements give as much information as can be provided about breaches of TPIMs and, where applicable, action taken. The information given is limited for national security reasons and in order to avoid prejudicing any law enforcement interests.
	With the exception of Ibrahim Magag, all of the individuals who have ever been subject to a TPIM notice are also subject to a court-imposed anonymity order.
	This prevents the publication of information that, either on its own or when read in conjunction with other information in the public domain, would identify, or would tend to identify, an individual as being subject to a TPIM notice. This includes information on the number of individuals subject to a TPIM notice who have been charged with a criminal offence in the UK (other than breach of a TPIM notice) or deported while subject to a TPIM notice.
	For national security reasons and in order to avoid prejudicing any law enforcement interests, we cannot comment on any potential future criminal action against TPIM subjects or on how many cases have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. We can confirm that the Secretary of State consulted with the chief officer of the relevant police force, who in turn consulted with the relevant prosecuting authority, before imposing each TPIM notice in force. This is in accordance with the requirements in section 10 of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011. I can also confirm that the subjects' conduct is kept under review, with a view to a prosecution of the individual for an offence relating to terrorism, in accordance with these requirements.
	As set out in the reports to Parliament, nine of the 10 individuals who have been made subject to a TPIM notice have been British Citizens. I can confirm deportation is considered as an option for all foreign nationals subject to a TPIM.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in reducing corruption within the Afghan Government.

Alistair Burt: Corruption remains an endemic problem in Afghan society. We continue to support the Afghan Government's efforts to tackle the problem, for example by strengthening the judicial system, developing the capacity of the Ministry of the Interior to investigate cases of corruption within the police force and to build sustainable accountability mechanisms. We have supported the Ministry in introducing anti-corruption measures, such as a Crime-Stoppers helpline and mobile anti-corruption teams, as well as providing expertise on Afghan Government management of public finances.
	We also provide training and logistical support to the Major Crimes Task Force (an investigative unit focusing on serious cases of corruption, organised crime and kidnapping) and we played a critical role in supporting the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Tribunal in Kabul, a court dedicated to hearing corruption cases. While progress is being made, it will require a long-term effort and measurable progress will take time.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made on reducing non-security-related crime in Afghanistan.

Alistair Burt: By strengthening the judicial system, we continue to work with the Afghan Government to increase their capacity to deal effectively with crime, for example through police and judiciary training and mentoring, courts and prison funding. A key example is the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF), a multi-departmental Afghan detention, investigation, prosecution and judicial team, which the UK has helped to establish to target the narcotics trade. The CJTF has secured over 1,000 convictions for narcotics offences since it was established in 2005. In 2010-11, the CJTF convicted 621 people of drugs trafficking offences.
	We are also working to strengthen links to statutory justice systems, providing legal education and developing civil groups to provide better monitoring and oversight, to make community-based justice system, more accountable.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the ability of the Afghan economy to support its security forces from 2015 onwards.

Alistair Burt: The International Community has pledged $4.1 billion from 2015 to fund the Afghan National Security Forces in the critical years after transition, to which Afghanistan will initially contribute $500 million. In the longer term, UK and international partners are working with the Afghan Government to encourage sustainable economic growth so that it can meet its security and development expenditure. At the Tokyo Conference, the Afghan Government set out a strong programme of financial and economic reforms designed to maintain growth and reduce dependence on donor funding.

Assisted Areas

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on negotiations on adjustments to Assisted Areas Maps.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Regional Aid Guidelines, under which the Assisted Areas Map is drawn, were published in draft by the European Commission on 14 January 2013 and are due to be finalised by June 2013. These will determine key rules for preparing Assisted Areas Maps, including specifying maximum population coverage for each member state. BIS has conducted some preparatory work and consultation on changes to the Assisted Areas shown on the UK's 2014-20 Map will follow the release of the Commission's finalised Guidelines.

Bahrain

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the UK Government has made to the Bahraini (a) Government and (b) authorities concerning human rights guarantees for political activists in prison in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly made clear to the Bahraini Government that the civil rights of peaceful opposition figures, the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be respected.
	As a close friend and ally, the UK has consistently encouraged the Government to take further steps to implement promised reforms and take the measures necessary to aid reconciliation.
	Most recently the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), visited Bahrain on 7-8 December, meeting with representatives of the Bahraini Government to continue such discussions.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in implementing the commitment in the Conservative manifesto 2010 to bring about a just settlement for people wishing to return to the Chagos Islands.

Mark Simmonds: Now that the litigation in the European Court of Human Rights is concluded, the Government will take stock of our policy towards the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), as we have always said we would. There are fundamental difficulties with resettlement in BIOT, but we will be as positive as possible in our engagement with Chagossian groups and all interested parties.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory (a) are habitable, (b) were inhabited, (c) are inhabited and (d) are suitable for settlement.

Mark Simmonds: Only one island in the British Indian Ocean Territory is habitable and is currently inhabited—Diego Garcia.
	There were five island groups that were inhabited from at least 1,830: Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos, Salomon, Eagle and Egmont. Nelson Island, the Three Brothers, Danger Island, Sea Cow Island were never inhabited, though all were visited for coconuts or turtles.
	In April 2000 the British Government commissioned a study to assess to what extent it would be feasible for the outer islands to be re-inhabited. The report concluded resettlement was not feasible. While the short-term habitation for limited numbers on a subsistence basis could be possible, the report emphasised that any long-term resettlement would be precarious and costly. The outer islands, which have been uninhabited for 40 years, lack all basic facilities and infrastructure.

British Nationals Abroad

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to protect the rights of UK citizens abroad when faced with criminal convictions.

Mark Simmonds: The steps that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes to protect the rights of British nationals abroad when faced with criminal convictions are defined by our consular assistance policy, which can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35519/support-for-british-nationals-abroad.pdf
	and based on internationally recognised standards, as well as the laws and legal process of the country concerned.

Marriage

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his foreign counterparts on child marriage.

Mark Simmonds: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly promote UK objectives on forced marriage, which often affects very young victims. Most recently, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), raised the issue of forced marriage with the High Commissioner of Pakistan. The Forced Marriage Unit has also established an International Partnership Board to share best practice on handling forced marriage cases with London embassies.
	The Department for International Development leads for the Government on the issue of early and forced marriage overseas and provides support for raising the age of marriage through its programmes.

Middle East

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the state of progress with the US-funded review of Palestinian and Israeli textbooks; and when a report on this matter is expected.

Alistair Burt: Along with officials at the Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are closely monitoring progress on the report into the content of Palestinian and Israeli school textbooks. We understand that the report is now likely to be published in early spring.

Nuclear Disarmament

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expert-level meetings have been hosted by the UK in the last year to share lessons from UK-led work on verification of nuclear warhead dismantlement; where the meetings were held; at what cost; which countries were represented at each such meeting; and if he will publish a summary of the outcomes of each meeting.

Alistair Burt: The UK has hosted two expert-level meetings in the last year to share findings from the ongoing UK-Norway Initiative. The first, held in London on 4 April 2012, was attended by officials from the ‘P5’ nuclear weapon states: UK, China, France, Russia and US. The total cost of the event was £9,137.10. UK scientists and technical experts shared the outcomes and lessons from the UK-Norway Initiative and P5 experts offered their perspectives.
	The second, held in Vienna in May 2012 as a side event to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting, was attended by around 100 experts from NPT States Parties, NGOs and academia. The cost to the UK of holding this event was £484.51. The joint presentation by technical experts from the UK and Norway is available on the Government website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-norway-initiative-on-nuclear-warhead-dismantlement-verification--2

Pakistan

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) nature and (b) monetary value was of counter-narcotics assistance given by his Department to the Government of Pakistan in each of the last six financial years; and what expenditure in each category of assistance is planned in the (i) current and (ii) next financial year.

Alistair Burt: We provide counter narcotics assistance to a range of international partners, including Pakistan. We do so to tackle the international drugs trade and minimise the threat it poses to the UK. However, it is our policy not to disclose details of that work where it relates to national security and protection of operational information, as to do so may reduce its effectiveness.

Pakistan

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken in providing financial support to the Pakistani anti-narcotics police to ensure that no such support contributes to attempts by the authorities in that country to impose capital punishment on those arrested for drugs offences.

Alistair Burt: We take human rights very seriously and strongly oppose the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, including for drugs offences. The Government published Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) guidance in 2011, which provides clear guidance to officials and law enforcement officers to help them identify human rights risks. Under OSJA guidance, where human rights risks are identified, the Government seeks to mitigate risks by a range of methods. For instance we can seek assurances that UK co-operation will not lead to torture or prosecutions that result in the death penalty, and have a clear exit strategy if the assurances are not met. This ensures that any assistance we provide supports our values and is consistent with our international obligations, including on capital punishment.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Consulate General in Jerusalem has made to the Palestinian Authority with regard to the glorification of terrorists by members of the Palestinian Authority.

Alistair Burt: Our Consul-General in Jerusalem has made clear to senior members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) our opposition to official PA events that welcome the return to the Occupied Palestinian Territories of individuals convicted of terrorist charges by Israel.
	Officials at the British Consulate-General have also raised the issue of positive portrayal of terrorist activity with the Government media centre on 13 December and with senior PA officials on 10 January.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 3W, on Palestinians, what specific examples of incitement and hatred were raised by the Consulate General in Jerusalem with the Head of News at Palestine TV.

Alistair Burt: Officials at the British Consulate General in Jerusalem raised concerns about material aired on Palestine TV in February 2012 on the anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Front of Liberation of Palestine which appeared to present positive images of terrorist acts carried out by members of that organisation. The Consulate General outlined the UK's firm opposition to the advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. The Head of the News Department said that Palestine TV took the issue of incitement very seriously and had strict instructions from the highest authorities to prevent the broadcasting of any materials that promotes incitement or hatred.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 473W, on sick leave, if he will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing workplace stress and staff absences in his Department.

Alistair Burt: We operate an occupational stress policy based on the Health and Safety executive management standards. We have no plans at present to conduct a formal assessment of mindfulness-based practice but our response to work-related stress is kept under regular review.

Sri Lanka

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the (a) efficacy of criminal justice and (b) rule of law in that country.

Alistair Burt: The British Government has had numerous meetings at official level with the Sri Lankan Government about our human rights concerns, which include the rule of law and aspects of the efficacy of the criminal justice system. Our high commissioner attended a meeting with the Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Peiris last month on issues relating to the rule of law. The UK will continue to take every opportunity, including my visit to Sri Lanka in the coming weeks, to raise concerns on human rights directly to the Government of Sri Lanka.
	The UK, in conjunction with the European Union Heads of Mission, released a statement on 5 December, expressing our concern about recent developments in Sri Lanka surrounding the rule of law and individual freedoms. We continue to press the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the protection of the independence of the judiciary and the fundamental rights of all citizens. The statement can be found here:
	http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/sri_lanka/documents/press_corner/20121205_en.pdf

Sri Lanka

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Government of Sri Lanka's commitment to the Commonwealth's Latimer House Principles.

Alistair Burt: The British Government looks to Sri Lanka, as with al! Commonwealth members, to demonstrate its commitment to, upholding all Commonwealth values including the Latimer House Principles. The Commonwealth's Latimer House Principles govern the relationship between the three branches of government. All member states of the Commonwealth have committed themselves to upholding the Latimer House Principles. This ensures that citizens' faith and confidence in democratic culture are assured and the rule of law is maintained.
	The UK, in conjunction with the European Union Heads of Mission, released a statement on 5 December, expressing our concern about recent developments in Sri Lanka surrounding the rule of law and individual freedoms. We continue to press the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the protection of the independence of the judiciary and the fundamental rights of all citizens. The statement can be found here:
	http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/sri_lanka/documents/press_corner/20121205_en.pdf
	The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, released a statement on 15 November 2012 which expressed concern about the recent move by the Parliament of Sri Lanka to impeach the country's Chief Justice, Dr Shirani Bandaranayake. The Secretary-General said the preservation of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary is key to the healthy functioning of a democracy.

United Arab Emirates

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of laws in the United Arab Emirates on UK citizens that live in or visit that country.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice provides guidance for UK citizens on local laws and customs in the United Arab Emirates. We advise that local laws and customs are often very different to those in the UK and advise travellers to familiarise themselves with, and respect, them. Our travel advice is updated regularly.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the South African Government on progress towards elections in Zimbabwe.

Mark Simmonds: South Africa continues to play a crucial role in seeking a political solution in Zimbabwe. We welcome President Zuma of South Africa's ongoing efforts to work with all three parties to Zimbabwe's power-sharing government to create the conditions for credible and properly monitored elections. This was most recently demonstrated at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Troika Summit in Tanzania.
	During my visit to Pretoria in November 2012, I conveyed our firm support to South Africa in its diplomatic efforts on Zimbabwe. I plan to visit again soon and I maintain regular contact with my counterparts in the South African Government on this and a range of other issues.
	Our high commission in Pretoria also maintains regular dialogue with the South African Government on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report by Human Rights Watch, Race Against Time: The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe's Elections, published in January 2013.

Mark Simmonds: I share the concerns raised in the Human Rights Watch's (HRW) report on the slow implementation of reforms in Zimbabwe and prospects of an early election without institutional and electoral reforms taking place. HRW acknowledge there has been progress in Zimbabwe—for example in October 2012 the Human Rights Commission Act was passed into law and the Second All Stakeholders Conference took place peacefully. But there is more work to be done by the Government of Zimbabwe to address its human rights record and ensure it implements essential reforms to prevent politically motivated violence and intimidation.
	I agree that the work of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in facilitating the reform process has been key to achieving progress thus far, and that their ongoing engagement will be important if free, fair and credible elections are to happen. We will continue to call regularly, both bilaterally and in partnership with other EU member states, for full implementation of electoral reform and the restoration of internationally accepted human rights standards in Zimbabwe.

TREASURY

Car Tax

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable he has set for the development of his proposals on reforms to vehicle excise duty.

Sajid Javid: The Government have made no formal proposals for changes to vehicle excise duty.
	The Government announced in Budget 2012 that they will consider whether to reform vehicle excise duty over the medium term to ensure all motorists continue to make a fair contribution to the sustainability of the public finances, to reflect continuing improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and seek the views of motoring groups on this issue. Updates on the Government's tax policy intentions are provided in the usual way through the annual Budget process.

Child Benefit

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of changes to higher income child benefit on the take-up of national insurance credits; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs estimates that there will be no impact on the take-up of national insurance credits following the introduction of the high income child benefit charge.

Child Benefit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs staff have been seconded to other Government departments to assist with the implementation of changes to child benefit.

David Gauke: No HM Revenue and Customs staff have been seconded to other Government Departments to assist with the implementation of the high income child benefit charge.
	Child benefit and income tax (under which the high income child benefit charge falls) are both administered by HM Revenue and Customs.

Child Benefit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing planned Government changes to child benefit.

David Gauke: The initial estimates of the administrative costs of the high income child benefit charge were published in the Tax Information and Impact Note at Budget 2012:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/tiin-0620.pdf
	A further estimate of the staffing costs was provided in response to parliamentary question 128154 on 3 December 2012, Official Report, column 593W:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121203/text/121203w0001.htm
	The estimate of costs incurred to date is approximately half the initially expected cost of the first phase of the project.

Child Benefit

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households that receive child benefit in Livingston constituency and where one parent earns between £50,000 and £60,000 will have their child benefit reduced on a sliding scale under his new child benefit rules; and how many households in that constituency where one parent is earning over £60,000 will lose that benefit completely.

David Gauke: Information on the number of individuals affected by the high income child benefit charge is not available on a constituency basis.
	An individual will not have their child benefit reduced or removed by the high income child benefit charge. Instead a tax charge will apply to the partner with the higher income above £50,000 where the claimant has not decided to stop payment of child benefit.

Child Benefit

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households that receive child benefit in Livingston constituency where a couple earns up to £100,000 will keep their child benefit under his new child benefit rules.

David Gauke: Information on income levels is not available at the constituency level.

Climate Change

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the (a) economic and (b) public spending consequences for the UK of the effects of each climate change prediction made in the Stern Report up to (i) 2050 and (ii) 2100.

Sajid Javid: The Government has made a comprehensive response to the Stern report since its publication, most recently through the 2011 Carbon Plan.

Corporation Tax

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to publish the amount of corporation tax paid by each FTSE-100 listed company in each of the last 10 years.

David Gauke: Taxpayer confidentiality prevents HMRC from disclosing such details.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which EU directives his Department transposed in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date; which EU directives his Department expects to transpose in (i) 2013 and (ii) the next two years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such directive to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector;
	(2)  which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2013 and (ii) the next two years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Sajid Javid: The Department does not centrally hold information on the regulations or directives expected to be introduced as a result of EU legislation in future years. To gather any such information would come at a disproportionate cost.
	It is not standard accounting practice to distinguish regulatory costs from overall running costs, whether of EU origin or domestic. There is therefore no pre-existing breakdown of the costs imposed by EU regulations or legislation upon which the Department can draw to produce an estimate. Any such information that does exist is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, in 2011 and 2012 the Department introduced the following regulations and directives as a result of EU legislation, with the following assessments of cost (this list was compiled on 3 January 2012 and is not exhaustive):
	
		
			  Cost 
			 2011  
			 The Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (SI no. 2011/99) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/99/impacts 
			 The Libya (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Egypt (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Tunisia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Ivory Coast (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Iran (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect 
			 The Money Laundering (Amendment) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Afghanistan (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
		
	
	
		
			 The Libya (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Syria (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/2479 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Recognised Auction Platforms Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/2699/impacts 
			 The Terrorism Act 2000 And Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002 (Business In The Regulated Sector) Order http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1534/impacts 
			 The Financial Services And Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) (Amendment No.2) Order 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2011/9780111515037/impacts 
			 The Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Terrorist Asset-Freezing Etc. Act 2010 (Commencement) Order 2011 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Financial Services And Markets Act 2000 (Market Abuse) Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/2928/impacts 
			 The Protection Of The Euro Against Counterfeiting (Amendment) Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/2944/impacts 
			   
			 2012  
			 Libya Asset-Freezing (Amendment) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regs 12 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Financial Services And Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Financial Services (Omnibus 1 Directive) Regulations 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Capital Requirements (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 Guinea-Bissau (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 Burma/Myanmar (financial restrictions) (suspension) regulations The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Prospectus Regulations 2011 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1668/impacts 
			 The Prospectus Regulations http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/prospectus_directive_ia_040412.pdf 
			 The Terrorism Act 2000 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) Order 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1534/impacts 
			 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Financial Services And Markets Act 2000 (Gibraltar) (Amendment) Order 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Undertakings For Collective Investment In Transferable Securities (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Terrorism Act 2000 And Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) (No.2) Order 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1534/impacts 
			 The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Financial Services And Markets Act 2000 (Short Selling) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2554/impacts 
			 Community Emissions Trading Scheme (Allocation of Allowances for Payment) Regulations 2012 No impact assessment 
			 The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
		
	
	
		
			 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2012 The regulations made set up penalties regimes for European Council regulations which have direct effect. 
			 The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2012 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2992/impacts 
			 The European Administration Co-Operation Taxation) Regulations 2012 No impact. 
			 The VAT (Amendment) (No 3) Regulations 2012 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tiin/vat-invoice-changes.pdf

Excise Duties: Fuels

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of fuel duty as a proportion of the average outgoings of people in each quintile of income earners;
	(2)  if he will consider replacing fuel duty with a progressive form of tax.

Sajid Javid: At autumn statement 2012, the Government published their distributional analysis of the expected impact of announced Government measures on household incomes, split by direct taxes, indirect taxes and tax credits and benefits. This document can be found on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/as2012_distributional_analysis.htm
	The latest ONS article on the effects of fuel duty on household disposable income by quintile is available at this link:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_241843.pdf
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all taxes under review.

Gift Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of higher rate tax relief unclaimed by individuals on charitable donations which were eligible for Gift Aid.

Sajid Javid: There is no such estimate.
	Higher (and additional) rate relief, reclaimed by individuals in respect of Gift Aid donations, has been estimated at £470 million for 2012-13 (preliminary figure). Independent research commissioned by HM Revenue and Customs in 2009 suggested that approximately 80% of all higher rate relief available on donations was claimed:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/charity/table10-2.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report91.pdf

Gift Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of Gift Aid unclaimed by charities on charitable donations.

Sajid Javid: No such estimate has been made.
	Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.3 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
	In 2011-12 a total of £1,057 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Income Tax

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of the average reduction in income to a working family of the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax.

David Gauke: No recent estimate has been made.

Income Tax

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in each parliamentary constituency who will be affected by the reduction of the top rate of income tax to 45p on all income above £150,000 per year.

David Gauke: Data on the number of additional rate tax payers at parliamentary constituency levels are not published, as population projections at constituency level would not be reliable or statistically robust.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the PAYE real time information system has been unable to match those hashes which have been unmatched in the pilot; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of unmatched hashes accounted for by each reason.

David Gauke: HMRC are unable to provide the information requested, at this time; as analysis of hash matching is ongoing as part of the RTI pilot.
	There are a variety of reasons why RTI submissions may not be matched to a hash cross reference received from the payment system. HMRC are unable to provide a breakdown as requested because analysis of hash matching is ongoing as part of the RTI pilot.
	Hashes received for schemes that have recently joined the RTI system cannot be matched where the PAYE scheme is still going through the RTI alignment process. HMRC have also identified that in some cases hash cross references are being included in RTI submissions where the employer is not paying their employees under a BACS service user number. Hash matching is not possible in these cases. Therefore, the interpretation of any data provided on numbers of hashes matched and not matched in the RTI pilot is subject to significant uncertainty. These transitional matching patterns are expected.
	HMRC is using the RTI pilot to refine its guidance to employers and software developers about hash matching.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time for the alignment process for employer schemes joining the PAYE real time information pilot was in each month since it started.

David Gauke: The time taken to complete the alignment process depends on various factors including the size and complexity of the PAYE scheme. The average alignment time by completed month for all employers in the pilot to date is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Average alignment duration (days) 
			 April 10 
			 May 11 
			 June 5 
			 July 5 
			 August 3 
			 September 2 
			 October 3 
			 November 3 
			 December 2

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the hash-matching accuracy in the PAYE real time information pilot.

David Gauke: The latest information available relates to payments made to individuals in December 2012. The hash-matching accuracy rate for PAYE schemes that have completed the RTI alignment process and could be verified as paying employees by BACS under a BACS service user number was 94%. The hash-matching accuracy rate for all schemes which submitted hashes in their December 2012 RTI, including schemes still in alignment and those including hashes erroneously, was 68%. This latter figure is the result of transitional factors deriving from the RTI pilot.
	There are a variety of reasons why RTI submissions may not be matched to a hash cross reference received from the payment system. Hashes received for schemes that have recently joined the RTI system cannot be matched where the PAYE scheme is still going through the RTI alignment process. HMRC have also identified that in some cases hash cross references are being included in RTI submissions where the employer is not paying their employees under a BACS service user number. Hash matching is not possible in these cases. Therefore, the interpretation of any data provided on numbers of hashes matched and not matched in the RTI pilot is subject to significant uncertainty. These transitional matching patterns are expected.
	HMRC is using the RTI pilot to refine its guidance to employers and software developers about hash matching.

Personal Income: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Hull and (b) Hull North there were with a taxable income greater than (i) £20,000, (ii) £30,000 and (iii) £50,000 in 2011-12.

David Gauke: Reliable projections beyond the 2009-10 out-turn are not available at the parliamentary constituency level, due to greater uncertainties in making projections for small geographical areas.

Revenue and Customs

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the data and calculation was underlying the statement by the Director of Personal Taxation at HM Revenue and Customs in oral evidence to the Treasury Sub-Committee on 31 October 2012, HC 673-ii, that the hash-matching accuracy rate was 95 per cent.

David Gauke: The figure of 95% quoted to the Treasury Select Committee was from early analysis of the hash-matching accuracy rate within the real time information (RTI) pilot relating to payments made to individuals in October 2012, for PAYE schemes that had completed the RTI alignment process and could be verified as paying employees by BACS under a BACS service user number.

Revenue and Customs

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people worked in the HM Revenue and Customs national minimum wage team in December (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

David Gauke: I refer the member to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 353W.

Revenue and Customs

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people work in the HM Revenue and Customs national minimum wage team.

David Gauke: The current number of staff in post in HMRC's minimum wage enforcement team (January 2013) is 155.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many calls from interns, volunteers, voluntary workers or people on work experience the Pay and Work Rights Helpline received in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011; and how many complaints so reported were investigated;
	(2)  how many enquiries from interns, volunteers, voluntary workers or people on work experience the Pay and Work Rights helpline received in 2012; and how many such complaints were investigated.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available prior to August 2011 as neither the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) or HMRC categorised inquiries or complaints received using these descriptors. Since August 2011, the helpline specifically records inquiries received from workers describing themselves as interns and a fast-track arrangement between the helpline and HMRC was introduced for any complaints received about non-payment of minimum wage relating to interns, volunteers, voluntary workers or people on work experience. The information requested from August 2011 is as follows:
	
		
			  Inquiries received by PWRH relating to interns Complaints fast-tracked to HMRC 
			 August 2011-March 2012 1 43 
			 April 2012-December 2012 3 22

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency will be affected by the decision to implement a one per cent annual uprating of (a) working tax credits and (b) employment and support allowance.

Sajid Javid: Forecasts of tax credits claimants are not produced at constituency level. Based on the HM Revenue and Custom's published provisional statistics for December 2012, accessible from the following:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-geog-stats/cwtc-geog-dec12.xls
	there are around 4,800 families in the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency who currently receive working tax credit.
	Forecasts of employment and support allowance ESA claimants are not produced at constituency level. The caseload forecast for ESA for Great Britain as whole (excluding ESA credits only cases) are:
	
		
			  Number (million) 
			 2013-14 1.624 
			 2014-15 1.811 
			 2015-16 1.754 
		
	
	These figures are based on the latest caseload forecasts published on the Department for Work and Pensions website:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/budget_2012_211212.xls
	(table 1c)

Tax Allowances: Research

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has undertaken to assess the relative merits of tax incentives in encouraging innovation and investment in research and development.

Sajid Javid: An evaluation of research and development tax credits was published on the HM Revenue and Customs website in November 2010 and is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report107.pdf
	A report on qualitative research into businesses' research and development (R&D) decision-making processes was published on the HM Revenue and Customs website in November 2010 and is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report101.pdf

Taxation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish his Department's research on dynamic scoring and the broader-economy effects of changes to taxation.

David Gauke: The Department routinely considers the broader-economy effects of changes to taxation. Information on the broader-economy effects of changes to taxation can be found in the OBR's Economic and fiscal outlook, at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-december-2012/

Taxation: Public Houses

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much unpaid VAT and PAYE owed by operators of public houses was written off by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: This information is not available centrally, and could be researched only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax credit has been claimed by people running public houses in each of the last five years.

Sajid Javid: This information would be available only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posts in Afghanistan were subject to tour lengths of longer than six months for each year since 2005.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 3 December 2012
	The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information centrally for the period before 2010.
	The average number of planned postings subject to tour lengths longer than six months (known as 'continuity postings') for the first 11 months of 2012 and the previous two years is available. Due to changing requirements, the number of postings fluctuated throughout these periods so averages for each calendar year have been calculated. These are broken down as follows:
	
		
			 2010 
			 Length of continuity posting Number of personnel(1) 
			 Over 6, to 9, months 20 
			 9 to 12 months 30 
			 Greater than 12 months <10 
			 (1 )To the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 
			 Length of continuity posting Number of personnel(1) 
			 Over 6, to 9, months 20 
			 9 to 12 months 40 
			 Greater than 12 months <10 
			 (1) To the nearest 10 
		
	
	
		
			 2012(1) 
			 Length of continuity posting Number of personnel(2) 
			 Over 6, to 9, months 30 
			 9 to 12 months 50 
			 Greater than 12 months <10 
			 (1) As at 30 November 2012. (2 )To the nearest 10. 
		
	
	All posts with a duration of greater than six months do not have a direct combat role. The posts are a mixture of staff officer, advisory, and command appointments. The length of the posts have been specifically designed to ensure that the UK maintains continuity and influence with both international security assistance force partners and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the most appropriate levels.

Afghanistan

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the UK spent on its military commitments in Afghanistan in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; how much he estimates it will spend in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015; and how much of this expenditure in each year came, or will come, from his Department's core budget and how much from additional resources provided by the Government to pay for operational costs.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence establishes the net additional cost of military operations in Afghanistan and these are subsequently funded by the Treasury Special Reserve. The costs are represented, by financial year, in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Outturn/Forecast (£ billion) 
			 2009-10 3.82 
			 2010-11 3.78 
			 2011-12 3.46 
			 2012-13 3.8 
			 2013-14 3.8 
			 2014-15 3.5 
		
	
	The figures for 2009-10 to 2011-12 are the actual costs, as published in the MOD annual report and accounts. The figures for 2012-13 to 2014-15 are estimates, as published in the 2010 spending review. Revised figures will be published in the parliamentary supplementary estimate for the relevant year.
	The parliamentary supplementary estimate for 2012-13 is currently scheduled from publication during the week commencing 11 February 2013.
	Expenditure is expected to reduce due to smaller force levels in theatre and operations predominantly in a support role with Afghan forces leading most security operations.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of equipment that will be left in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of British troops.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence is still in the process of determining what pieces of equipment and materiel should be repatriated from Afghanistan and what should be left in the country. We are therefore currently unable to give accurate figures for the value of the equipment that will not be repatriated.

Defence School of Photography

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential capacity of the Defence School of Photography to provide services to other government departments.

Andrew Robathan: A review will commence shortly to examine the enduring Defence requirement for photography training, the options for meeting this requirement and the capability of the Defence School of Photography to do so. This review will also allow us to determine how to use any irreducible spare capacity that may exist.

European Defence Agency

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department intends to announce its decision on the UK's continuing membership of the European Defence Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: Ministers are considering the case for UK membership of the European Defence Agency and will be making an announcement shortly.

Gibraltar

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent unlawful incursions of Spanish vessels in Gibraltar territorial waters.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 808W.
	The Royal Navy patrols and continues to challenge all unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by Spanish state vessels by issuing appropriate warnings. This forms an important part of Her Majesty's Government's commitment to uphold our sovereignty against unlawful incursions with a range of proportionate naval, police and diplomatic responses.

Gulf of Guinea

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to combat piracy off the coast of Togo and the Gulf of Guinea.

Andrew Robathan: The UK Government takes a cross-government, holistic regional approach to combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. There are a number of work streams contributing to tackling threats to maritime security in this region. The MOD has specifically supported this by:
	Building a Joint Maritime Shared Training Centre (JMSTC) in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and having a warrant officer based there to support the tactical level training it provides. We have also supplied the JMSTC with rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBS) to support their work.
	Financing a maritime liaison officer to support the creation and implementation of an integrated maritime strategy by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
	Providing a defence adviser in Sierra Leone who has a remit to cover maritime security for West Africa.
	Contributed to US led project in Nigeria to build radar along the coast to improve their national information capability.
	Places on UK courses like the exclusive economic zone and single services courses in the UK and sometimes in the region.
	In addition, last year, HMS Dauntless and HMS Edinburgh were involved in tactical training and manoeuvring exercises in the region, activity which we will replicate this year.

Nuclear Disarmament

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the proposal made by the British Pugwash Group in December 2012 that the Government should establish an international disarmament institute in the UK.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence asked British Pugwash to undertake a peer review of its programme on the verification of nuclear weapons dismantlement in March 2011. The report was submitted to the Department in December 2012, and its recommendations are being considered.

Persian Gulf

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are currently deployed in the Gulf; and on what duties.

Andrew Robathan: There is typically at least one Royal Navy destroyer or frigate deployed in the Gulf region, supported by a tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), plus a four-strong squadron of minehunters with an RFA support ship at short notice, in the Gulf region.
	The maritime presence in the Gulf will vary over time dependent upon the operational requirement and exercises such as those involving the Navy's high readiness Response Force Task Group which might be taking place in the region.
	Maritime forces are inherently flexible and can conduct multiple tasks simultaneously. Tasks may typically include supporting maritime security operations including counter piracy, training, surveying and logistical support. Operations may be conducted on a national basis, under European Union or NATO aegis, or as part of a multinational taskforce.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Ash Dieback Disease

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will revise the projected strength of the Forest Carbon Sink in the UK's greenhouse gas inventory through to 2020 to reflect the impact of Chalara fraxinea.

David Heath: It would not be appropriate, at this stage, to revise the projected strength of the forest carbon sink due to scientific uncertainty about the future progression of the outbreak of Chalara fraxinea, the period over which trees may die and the limited contribution that ash makes to the UK's woodland carbon sink. Furthermore, ash constitutes only 4.9% (0.5 MtCO2e) of the forest carbon sink; even if this carbon sink was lost in its entirety, the change in the total forest carbon sink strength would be well within the bounds of uncertainty associated with its estimation, as published in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.

Community Development: Finance

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the £50,000 for local and community projects announced in April 2012 has been allocated.

Richard Benyon: All of the £50,000 for local and community projects has been allocated.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were (a) killed or (b) hurt by dog attacks in 2012.

David Heath: There are no central records of the numbers of people killed or hurt in dog attacks. However, Hospital Episode Statistics (the national statistical data warehouse of NHS care provision for England) recorded that 6,450 people required admission to hospital during the 2011-12 period for injuries caused by dogs.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dog attacks in 2012 could not be prosecuted because they took place on an owner's private property.

David Heath: Records of the number of cases that are not pursued are not held centrally. However, we estimate that there around 250 incidents per annum that take place on private property (where the dog has a right to be) that currently fall outside the scope of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Government has proposed extending the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to all places, including those where the dog has a right to be.

Flood Control

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to autumn statement 2012, what estimate he has made of the cost of simplifying flood consents and moving them to a single website; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: An initial estimate of simplifying flood consents by integrating them into the Environmental Permitting framework in England was published in July 2012. This assessed costs at £1.3 million and benefits at £3.6 million over 10 years.
	DEFRA and the Environment Agency are investigating the benefits of setting up a single website to handle flood defence consent applications but an estimate of the costs of this has not yet been made.

Flood Control: Dredging

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the dredging of main rivers in order to reduce the risk of flooding; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I have recently had a number of discussions with the Environment Agency on the role of dredging and maintenance of watercourses in flood risk management.
	The Environment Agency spends around £20 million per year on dredging, de-silting, removing gravel and obstructions from watercourses, along with weed control to clear channels. This maintenance activity is focused on those areas where it will achieve the greatest benefit in reducing flood risk.

Floods

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates he has held meetings with the devolved administrations to discuss the issue of flooding.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), met with the devolved Administrations on 19 November 2012, when flooding was discussed. In addition to this DEFRA officials share experience and have regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.

Industrial Waste

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to autumn statement 2012, when he expects to review the trade effluents permitting regime; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: An outline of the plan to review the consenting of trade effluent discharges to sewers can be found in ‘Red Tape Challenge (RTC)—Water & Marine Theme: Water proposals’ which was published in December 2012. DEFRA officials are already working with the water and sewerage companies to evaluate the proposals they put forward. Once this work is complete we will consult on those proposals we believe will reduce the burden on business while continuing to protect the safety of sewerage infrastructure and the environment.

Ivory: South East Asia

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with (a) the Holy See and (b) his counterparts in South East Asia the rise in the number of Catholic religious icons made from ivory in the South East Asia region.

Richard Benyon: This Government made a coalition commitment to press for a ban on ivory sales and we remain focused on ensuring that the existing global ivory ban stays firmly in place. In addition to the general trade prohibition, strict trade controls exist in relation to international trade in ivory products, including religious icons, which allow limited trade, for example, in worked antique ivory. The UK supports full compliance with these controls. Domestic production of, and trade in, ivory products is, however, a matter for the countries concerned and is governed by their own national legislation.
	If there is evidence of illegal trade in religious ivory icons made in south east Asia, we would encourage the relevant Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to take the necessary action to tackle this. At the current time we have no specific plans to raise the production of religious icons made from ivory with the Holy See or counterparts in south east Asia.
	Although not specifically focused on religious icons made from ivory, international trade in ivory will be discussed at the 16th Conference of Parties to CITES in March 2013. Although we have not yet adopted a final position, we will support trade controls and enforcement action which will reduce elephant poaching and illegal trafficking of ivory.

Livestock: Transport

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which ports take the live trade in animals; and what the amount of the trade was conducted in each such port in each of the last five years.

David Heath: Sea ports and airports handling the movement of live animals (i.e. livestock and non-livestock species, both imports and exports) are not generally required to be authorised or approved by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). (The only exceptions in Great Britain are those ports/airports accepting imports from outside the EU operating as Border Inspection Posts and those ports/airports accepting animals being imported under the Rabies Order.) Therefore there are no comprehensive records held by the AHVLA on which port/airports are involved in handling live animals. Consequently, neither do they hold comprehensive records of the volumes of animals involved.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 1 November 2012 with regard to Ms Ann Carter.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 21 December 2012.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Government takes the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and appreciates the contribution made by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) in tackling these crimes. Decisions on NWCU funding beyond 2012-13 will be taken as soon as possible.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department plans to allocate to the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) on 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 158W.

Public Houses: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pubs have closed in Halifax in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	My Department does not hold this information.

Rhinoceros Products and Ivory: Africa

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the escalation in the rhino horn and elephant ivory trade across Africa.

Richard Benyon: Illegal trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory is of great concern to the Government given the alarming rise in poaching and trafficking across Africa in recent years. We work closely with other nations and international organisations to tackle this and play an active role in the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), whose next Conference of the Parties (CoP16) will take place in March. Through this convention we have been able to strengthen the advice, assistance and tools provided to help range states enforce CITES controls, conserve wildlife threatened by unsustainable levels of trade and combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
	The Government also supports a wide range of specific action to tackle illegal wildlife trade, including: contributing financially towards Interpol-led projects which build enforcement capacity in range states to conserve elephants and rhino; funding a post in the CITES Secretariat to help combat wildlife crime; and chairing the CITES Rhino Working Group tasked with investigating the drivers behind, and possible solutions to, the dramatic rise in rhino poaching. In order to reduce the amount of rhino horn entering into illegal trade in Asia, the UK has also been instrumental in the introduction of a stricter approach across the EU to the issue of CITES licences for the re-export of rhino horn.
	CoP16 presents an important opportunity to explore with the wider international community ways of securing better protection for species subject to unsustainable levels of trade and to combat illegal trade more effectively. We have yet to finalise our positions in respect of CoP16 proposals but elephants and rhinos will be high priorities for the UK during the conference.

Salmon: Northumberland

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 513W, on salmon: Northumberland, what figures for salmon stocks in the river Coquet he used when considering his decision on the Net Limitation Order.

Richard Benyon: Figures used for salmon stocks on the Coquet were derived from electric fishing surveys, fish counters and rod catch data, alongside assessments of fish communities used for Water Framework directive purposes and compliance with salmon management targets.
	Electric fishing data from five sites indicated that there were around 40 juvenile salmon per 100 sq m on the Coquet in 2011. However, there is wide variability in the results between sites. No significant differences in juvenile salmonid densities were found between the periods 1993-03 and 2004-11.
	Rod catch and rod effort (days fished) data have been submitted by anglers over several years and provide some indication of trends in stock levels. In 2010, the most recent year for which data was available at the time of the report, the declared salmon rod catch was 978.
	Fish counters on the Coquet have recorded returning adult salmon and sea trout from 1994 to 2007, in order to calculate a minimum estimate of upstream migration. In 2007, 10,176 fish were recorded passing upstream.
	The Coquet is split into 23 separate water bodies for Water Framework directive purposes and 78 sites were electric fished in assessing the 'ecological status' of these water bodies. Of the water bodies, 19 were assessed as being at 'good' or better status for fish, including salmon, meaning that these fish stocks were healthy. Of the four water bodies that failed to achieve 'good' status or better, the absence of salmon was one of the reasons for this failure in two cases.
	Further data was also available to us on the stocks in the other north east rivers contributing to the fishery and, relating to compliance with requirements under the Habitats directive, on stocks in rivers in eastern Scotland.
	In coming to our decision, we took into consideration our obligations to promote the conservation, restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks in the North Atlantic ocean under the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation convention.

Water Charges

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of households where the price of plumbed water will be charged according to the rateable value of their home in each of the next five years.

Richard Benyon: In 2009, the water industry regulator, Ofwat, set price limits for all of the regulated water companies in England and Wales, covering the period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. As part of that process, it forecast the proportion of each company's household customer base that would be charged on a metered basis and the proportion that would be charged on an unmetered basis. These forecasts were based on information in the companies' business plans. That information did not distinguish between unmetered customers who would be charged according to the rateable value of their properties and unmetered customers who would be charged on another basis, such as an assessed charge.
	The following table shows the proportion of household customers charged on a metered basis across England and Wales over the current price review period. The next price review will take place in 2014 for the period 2015-20.
	
		
			 Proportion of households in England and Wales charged on a metered basis 
			 Percentage 
			  Actual Forecast 
			 2010-11 39 — 
			 2011-12 — 42 
			 2012-13 — 45 
			 2013-14 — 48 
			 2014-15 — 50 
			 Note: Figures for 2011-12 are provisional while those for 2012-13 to 2014-15 are forecast.

Water Supply

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which occasions the High Level Group on Water Market Reform has met.

Richard Benyon: The High Level Group met on 7 September 2012, 16 November 2012 and the 10 January 2013. In addition to which, a further six sub-group meetings have taken place drawing in expertise from across the industry in order to progress the groups' work on developing a timetable for market opening and defining the structure of the market. At its most recent meeting the High Level Group scheduled a further eight meetings for later in 2013.

Water Supply

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of projected economic growth in the water sector in the next 12 months.

Richard Benyon: Ofwat, the water industry regulator, conducts a price review every five years, for a five-year period. The last price review was in 2009 for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015. Ofwat has approved water company plans to invest £22 billion on improving services for customers between 2010 and 2015.
	Economic growth/value of the water companies is represented by the level of the regulated capital value (RCV). Growth in the RCV reflects the continued capital enhancement programme.
	At the review Ofwat's calculations said that the RCV of the sector will grow from £48 billion at the beginning of the current price period (1 April 2010) to £53 billion at the end of the price review period (31 March 2015). All numbers are quoted in 2007-2008 prices. Annual growth in the RCV is calculated between 1 April and 31 March. The RCV for 2011-12 was forecast to be £50.76 billion, growing to £52.22 billion in 2012-13.

Water: Lancashire

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to monitor changes in water quality in Bleasdale, Lancashire caused as a result of fracking.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's understanding is that there are no proposals to carry out hydraulic fracturing in Bleasdale. Furthermore, the groundwater around the sites which have so far been granted planning permission to carry out exploratory fracturing in western Lancashire is not used for drinking water supply in these areas.
	The Environment Agency must make an assessment on the risk of pollution to groundwater on a case by case (site by site) basis. The Environment Agency has assessed that there is no risk of pollution of groundwater for the existing sites but this could be different for other sites in Lancashire.
	The Environment Agency would require an operator to apply for an Environmental Permit for a groundwater activity before hydraulic fracturing could commence, if they determine that there could be a risk of pollution of groundwater at a site. This permit would put conditions on their operation, which would control the risks of pollution in order to safeguard the groundwater and water quality.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband: Rural Areas

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent progress her Department has made on rolling out broadband in rural areas; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: We are making very good progress. Nine local projects have agreed contracts, and the first street cabinet supported by the rural broadband programme was switched on at Ainderby Steeple in North Yorkshire on 13 December. Three further projects are aiming to agree contracts this month and, if they stick to the timetable, all projects should have completed procurement by the summer.

Culture: Olympic Games 2012

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the economic return from the Cultural Olympiad.

Edward Vaizey: The Department is delighted with the huge impact that the Cultural Olympiad has made. The final evaluation is due to be published in the spring, which, as well as assessing the cultural and social impact, will provide some evidence on the economic impact of the Cultural Olympiad.
	Individual regions have conducted economic impact assessments. For example, the west midlands recorded a net economic impact of £27.4 million from the Cultural Olympiad.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking ahead of the switchover to digital radio; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 14 January 2013
	No decision has been taken at this time by Government to implement a radio switchover policy. Since 2010 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been working with Ofcom, broadcasters, manufacturers, infrastructure operators and consumer representatives to consider a range of issues to ensure any decision on radio switchover is well informed. Progress is reported in the Digital Radio Action Plan, which is published on the DCMS website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/7228.aspx.
	We have always been clear that the timing of any switchover will be determined by the consumer. No date for a switchover will be set until 50% of all radio listening is already to digital. We have also said that DAB coverage at national and local level will need to be comparable to FM.

Insurance

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with insurance companies on age limits in respect of access to their services.

Jo Swinson: I have had no such discussions. However, the Government have an agreement with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) that requires their members to help older customers find motor and travel insurance to meet their needs and the ABI to publish information on insurers' use of age in the assessment of risk for these types of insurance. Officials are working with the industry to monitor the agreement's effectiveness and it will be formally reviewed no later than 2015. Details on the agreement can be found at:
	http://www.abi.org.uk/Facts_and_Figures/Data_by_Age_and_Gender.aspx

Music: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of levels of participation in projects funded by Youth Music from 2009 to 2012.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not record this information. As a delegated lottery distributor of Arts Council England (ACE), ACE has advised that Youth Music monitors levels of participation in the projects it funds, and have provided the following participation rates since 2009:
	
		
			  Participants 
			 2009-10 130,869 
			 2010-11 177,796 
			 2011-12 111,361 
		
	
	Youth Music funding focuses on increasing musical participation among early years children, economically disadvantaged or otherwise excluded groups of children and young people.

Music: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the report published by Sound Connections in November 2012 on pilot music rehearsal spaces for young people.

Edward Vaizey: UK Music, the umbrella organisation representing the collective interests of Britain's commercial music industry, now has responsibility for the pilot music rehearsal spaces. According to the report into the spaces, commissioned by Sound Connections, there were approximately 33,000 visits to the spaces, with three quarters of those participants aged between 11 and 18 years. Many spaces supported young people from poorer socio-economic neighbourhoods in to employment, education and training.

Music: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether Youth Music is working with all 122 music hubs.

Edward Vaizey: As a delegated lottery distributor of Arts Council England (ACE), Youth Music's Musical Inclusion grant holders ensure opportunities exist for children and young people in challenging circumstances to access and progress through high-quality music making. There are currently 26 Musical Inclusion grant holders across England working with 118 Music Education Hubs. Youth Music is working to identify and develop appropriate partners in order to achieve full coverage and establish links with the remaining four Music Education Hubs.

Newspaper Press: Complaints

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the value of establishing an arbitration system modelled on the Court of Arbitration for Sport to resolve press complaints; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government welcomed Lord Justice Leveson's report, which proposed a system of independent self-regulation for the press. As such, the challenge of developing the new self-regulator, which Lord Justice Leveson recommended should include an arbitration service, has been taken up by the press. Detailed proposals are currently being developed by the industry.

Olympic Games 2012

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report , column 554W on Olympic Games, (a) what progress has been made in the discussions with the British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee on a framework to give London 2012 suppliers greater freedom to promote their work on the Games, (b) by what date she expects an outcome to these discussions and (c) what (i) deadlines, (ii) milestones and (iii) timescales she has put in place for this process.

Hugh Robertson: The Government is completely committed to delivering a legacy from the London 2012 Games, which includes helping businesses that were involved in the project benefit from their outstanding work. We are making good progress in discussions on new arrangements with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and hope to make an announcement about the new arrangements in the very near future.

Permanent Secretaries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has any plans to downgrade the Permanent Secretary position in her Department.

Maria Miller: I have no plans to downgrade the Permanent Secretary position in my Department.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Business Committee

Christopher Chope: To ask the Leader of the House whether the Government intends to introduce a House Business Committee by the third year of this Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Lansley: The Coalition's programme for government contained a commitment to establish a House Business Committee by the end of the third year of the Parliament.
	As I explained in my evidence to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on 10 January, in developing proposals we will want to take into account the developments in the work of the Backbench Business Committee and consider how a House Business Committee will add value in the management of business.
	We will give careful consideration to any views put forward by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on the implementation of this.

Government Bills: Free Votes

David Burrowes: To ask the Leader of the House further to his oral answer of 10 January 2013 to the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate, on issues of conscience, which Government Bills since 2001 were not included in the Queen's Speech but were put to the House for decision on the basis of a free vote.

Andrew Lansley: Whipping is a matter for individual parties and not a matter that the Government can comment on.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Marriage

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will publish the responses to the Government's consultation on equal marriage.

Helen Grant: We have already published the summary of responses and data in relation to the specific questions asked in the Government response. This can be found at:
	www.culture.gov.uk/equalities

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she intends to reply to the letter sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 28 November 2012 with regard to Ms K Jones.

Maria Miller: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 14 January with regards to this matter.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Data Protection

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Gregory Barker: This information is not held by the Department. Ministers handle official information in accordance with government guidance.

EAGA

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the salaries of the Chief Executive of EAGA and the head of Xtrawarm are; and whether bonuses are paid to those individuals.

Gregory Barker: Carillion Energy Services was previously known as Eaga. All executive directors remuneration details are recorded as part of Carillion annual accounts. Full details are available from:
	http://annualreport2011.carillionplc.com/governance/remuneration_report.php
	Details of individual employees' salaries are commercially sensitive information and as such cannot be provided.

EAGA

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will ask EAGA to ensure that full information, including the name of the head of Xtrawarm, is published on its website.

Gregory Barker: Xtrawarm is an optional commercial service offered to Warm Front customers by Carillion Energy Services (CES) at the end of the aftercare period provided by Warm Front. Decisions about marketing for Xtrawarm are the responsibility of CES. The CES website is at:
	www.carillionenergy.com
	and CES's managing director is Nigel Taylor.
	CES makes Xtrawarm available only to previous Warm Front customers and it is not marketed through a website. A website does not exist to publish information about Xtrawarm. All Xtrawarm customers are provided with a welcome pack with information about the service and full contact details.

EAGA

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the working relationship between EAGA and Xtrawarm is; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Xtrawarm is an aftercare insurance-backed product owned by Carillion Energy Services.

Government Procurement Card

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) staff and (b) special advisers in his Department have use of a Government Procurement Card.

Gregory Barker: The number of Department of Energy and Climate Change (a) staff holding Government Procurement Cards (GPCs) is 186; (b) there are no special advisers holding GPCs.

Press: Subscriptions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on newspapers and periodicals in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent £22,000 on its electronic press cuttings service during the 12 month period ending March 2012. The equivalent expenditure for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 was £80,000.
	The Department does not record expenditure on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines separately from overall expenditure on publications which includes the cost of the Department's own publications as well as purchased publications of all types. It would incur disproportionate costs to scrutinise all publication transactions to identify relevant amounts.

Procurement

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many research contracts commissioned by his Department were not subject to a tendering process in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate Change does not record centrally the numbers of contracts commissioned outside of a tendering process and this would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
	Procurements under £10,000 are competed by obtaining competitive quotes and are not subjected to a tendering process. The Department complies with Cabinet Office guidance, competing all work over £10,000 unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Urenco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in selling off the Government's stake in Urenco.

John Hayes: The Government is continuing to discuss the possibility of a sale of some or all of the UK shareholding in Urenco with the Dutch and German Governments and shareholders. These discussions are being supported by legal and financial advisers. No final decisions have yet been taken and any decision to sell will be subject to maintaining protections in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security, as well as ensuring any transaction delivers value for money for the tax payer.

Urenco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much income has been received by the Exchequer from its stake in Urenco in each of the last three years.

John Hayes: The Government has a 33% shareholding in Urenco via Enrichment Holdings Ltd. The only income received is in the form of dividends, which are received and recorded in DECC's resource accounts under programme income. The following table summarises the amounts received in each of the last three financial years as well as the amount received to date in the financial year 2012-13:
	
		
			  £000 
			 2009-10 22,040 
			 2010-11 21,618 
			 2011-12 26,141 
			 2012-YTD 51,052

HEALTH

Cancer Services: Expenditure

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of real-terms expenditure on cancer services in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Hunt: It is not possible to compare real terms expenditure on cancer services over the last five years. As the Cancer Research UK report stated:
	“In order to improve the quality of the data, continual refinements have been made making year-on-year comparisons very difficult.”
	As part of our commitment to increase the national health service budget, we are investing £750 million to support early diagnosis and improve access to treatment.
	Primary care trusts have local discretion as to how they spend their overall baseline allocations, including in the area of cancer care, to allow commissioning to best reflect the needs of local populations.

HIV Infection Rates

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce HIV infection rates.

Norman Lamb: The Department funds the Terrence Higgins Trust to undertake a national programme called HIV Prevention England, for communities at increased risk of HIV. This includes promoting testing, condom use and developing the evidence base for effective HIV prevention.

Hospital Building

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is available to NHS trusts for the building of new hospitals.

Daniel Poulter: Individual national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts are responsible for developing and taking forward their own capital investment proposals. An NHS foundation trust can apply to the Department's Foundation Trust Financing Facility for a capital investment loan. Plans are assessed against the Foundation Trust's Prudential Borrowing Limit set by Monitor.

Non-EU Patients: Costs

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to recover costs in respect of non-EU patients who are not entitled to free NHS care.

Norman Lamb: National health service hospitals have a statutory duty to make and recover charges for any visitors not otherwise exempted.
	We have recently undertaken a comprehensive review of current rules and practices on charging visitors for NHS care and expect to make further announcements shortly.

Elective Operations: Non-Clinical Cancellations

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elective operations have been cancelled for non-clinical reasons in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: In the 12 months to 30 September 2012, elective operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons represented 0.8% of all elective activity compared to 0.8% at the time of the last election.
	In 2011-12, the last full year's worth of data available, elective operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons represented 0.8% of all elective activity compared to 0.9% in 2009-10, the year prior to the last election.

Liverpool Care Pathway

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to maintain the integrity of the Liverpool Care Pathway.

Norman Lamb: We expect to announce the Chair for the independent review into use of the Liverpool Care Pathway very soon. The Review will examine patients’ and professionals’ experience of the Liverpool Care in practice, and will consider the role of financial incentives in its use. It will report by the summer.

Tuberculosis

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of rates of tuberculosis infection.

Norman Lamb: Although cases of tuberculosis (TB) have increased slightly in 2011, the overall TB incidence rates in the United Kingdom appear to have stabilised since 2005.
	The stabilisation of TB rates, the rising proportion of patients completing treatment and the increasing proportion of laboratory confirmed cases are encouraging trends.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many operational urgent care centres there were in (a) London and (b) England in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012;
	(2)  how many urgent care centres (a) opened and (b) closed in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 in (A) London and (B) England; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Aerials: Health Hazards

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the public health implications of cumulative radiation from telecommunications masts.

Daniel Poulter: The Department refers to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) for scientific advice on non-ionising radiation, including radiation from telecommunications masts. The 2012 report prepared by the HPA's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation is a recent and comprehensive assessment of the evidence of health effects from radiofrequency radiation, such as that emitted from telecommunications masts. It is available on the HPA's website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1317133826368

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of alcohol-dependent women in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) England in the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of women in each (a) socio-economic group, (b) ethnic group and (c) age group classed as alcohol-dependent since 2010.

Anna Soubry: Estimates are not available for each of the last five years.
	National and regional estimates on alcohol dependence are included in the adult psychiatric morbidity survey, ‘Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007’ (APMS), which was published in January 2009. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The next APMS Survey is expected in 2014.

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of women (a) currently in treatment and (b) who have received treatment for alcohol misuse in the last five years.

Anna Soubry: Estimates are not available for each of the last five years and could be made only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the number of female clients in contact with structured alcohol treatment at any point in the year for the three years: 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Clients who were in treatment during a period which crosses into more than one year, are counted once in each year their treatment journey crosses into.
	The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse will be publishing the 2011-12 statistics on 17 January.
	
		
			 Female clients in treatment, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 
			  Number Percentage 
			 2008-09 35,818 36 
			 2009-10 39,187 35 
			 2010-11 39,259 35 
			 Source: National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System Statistics Report, 1 April 2010 to 31 March.

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the chief medical officer has made in developing guidelines on alcohol consumption for women.

Anna Soubry: The chief medical officer has appointed two expert committees to review the evidence, one on the evidence on health risks from alcohol, chaired by Professor Mark Petticrew, and the other on behavioural issues, chaired by Professor Sally Macintyre.
	Subject to the outcome of the review of evidence, which should take about 12 months, this will be followed by a second phase involving the development of new guidelines.
	The evidence review will include consideration of health risks for women from alcohol consumption.

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on the levels of alcohol consumption by women.

Daniel Poulter: On 28 November, the Government launched a consultation on key policies within the Alcohol Strategy, seeking views on a proposed minimum unit price of 45 pence. The Government also published a consultation stage impact assessment.
	Consistent with the consultation stage impact assessment, we have used the university of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research alcohol policy model to estimate the effects on alcohol consumption by men and women following introduction of a minimum unit price level of 45 pence per unit of alcohol as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  England Moderate drinkers Harmful drinkers 
			 Total (all ages) -3.3 -1.2 -5.9 
			 Male -3.0 -0.8 -5.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Female -3.8 -2.0 -6.2 
			 Notes: 1. Moderate drinkers are those drinking within NHS guidelines—for statistical purposes, these are taken as a weekly equivalent of no more than 21 units for men and no more than 14 units for women. 2. Harmful drinkers are those drinking more than double the weekly equivalent of the NHS guidelines, i.e. more than 50 units weekly for men and more than 35 units weekly for women.

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of women admitted for the treatment of alcohol-related conditions or injuries in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) England in the last five years.

Anna Soubry: The table contains the sum of the estimated alcohol attributable fractions for admissions for women in Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence and England for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12.
	It should be noted that a parliamentary constituency breakdown is not possible before 2008-09.
	These numbers provide an estimate of the numbers based on the proportion of diseases and injuries that can be wholly or partially attributed to alcohol, rather than a count of episodes with an alcohol related diagnosis or cause code.
	It should be noted that these data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	
		
			 Sum of the alcohol attributable fractions(1) for women in Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence(2) and England for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12(3) 
			  Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence England 
			 2007-08 — 325,973 
			 2008-09 577 354,695 
			 2009-10 573 395,249 
			 2010-11 684 437,239 
			 2011-12 710 454,314 
			 (1)Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology has recently been updated and is now available directly from HES. As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data. Alcohol attributable fractions are not applicable to children under 16. Therefore figures for this age group relate only to wholly-attributable admissions, where the attributable fraction is one. (2)Parliamentary constituency of residence The parliamentary constituency containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another parliamentary constituency for treatment. This field is only available from 2008-09 onwards. (3)Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Alcoholic Drinks: Females

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average number of alcohol units consumed by women (a) in employment, (b) in education, (c) not in work and (d) who are retired since 2010.

Daniel Poulter: Information on the average number of alcohol units consumed by women aged 16 or over in England in 2010, broken down by economic status, is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Average (mean) number of alcohol units per week 
			  Per person(1) Per drinker 
			 Economically active   
			 In employment 9.3 10.5 
			 Unemployed(2) 6.4 8.0 
			    
			 Economically inactive   
			 Retired 5.2 7.1 
			 Student(3) 5.6 9.1 
			 Other(4) 6.1 9.1 
			 (1) Includes abstainers and those who have not drunk in the last year. (2) Based on the International Labour Organisation definition. (3) Excludes those students who are also economically active (e.g. in employment). (4) Includes those who are permanently unable to work and those 'keeping house'. Source: Office for National Statistics, General Lifestyle Survey

Ambulance Services: East of England

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance or response-car call-outs in the East of England (a) have and (b) have not been staffed with a paramedic in each of the last 24 months.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
	Incidents that resulted in an emergency response arriving at the scene in the East of England for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Table 1: Emergency incidents (calls resulting in response arriving at the scene of the incident), East of England Ambulance trust, 2010-11 to 2011-12 
			 Thousand 
			 Ambulance Service 2010-11 2011-12 
			 East of England Ambulance service 693.4 700.0 
			 Source: Form KA34, Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) 
		
	
	The Department does not collect data on whether these responses were staffed by paramedics or not. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the East of England Ambulance Trust, which might hold the information requested.

Cancer

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to help the NHS Commissioning Board address premature mortality linked to cancer.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he has put in place to support the NHS Commissioning Board to avoid premature mortality linked to cancer;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to support the NHS Commissioning Board in saving more lives through diagnosing cancer earlier.

Daniel Poulter: In the Government's mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, we set an objective for the Board to work towards making England, through the NHS, one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths. The aim is to make significant progress in supporting the earlier diagnosis of illness, ensuring people have access to the right treatments, reducing unjustified variation between hospitals and focusing the NHS on preventing illness.
	The NHS Outcomes Framework, will be used to assess progress against the mandate objectives. Domain 1 of the Framework focuses on measuring how the NHS is performing in preventing people from dying prematurely and includes mortality and survival rates for cancer.
	As we have highlighted in the second annual report for Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer published in December 2012, good progress is being made in improving cancer outcomes. We are investing over £450 million in early diagnosis of cancer, including funding direct general practitioner access to key tests to help them rule out or confirm cancer in symptomatic patients, funding more testing and treatment in secondary care and running campaigns to raise awareness of symptoms of cancer,
	We are investing over £173 million to expand radiotherapy services up to 2014-15 to support the utilisation of existing radiotherapy equipment; provide for new services; support increased access to proton beam therapy abroad: and deliver a £23 million Radiotherapy Innovation Fund (2012-13). The Department has set aside up to £250 million of public capital to be invested by the national health service in building proton beam therapy facilities at The Christie Hospital and University College London Hospital. These facilities will treat up to 1,500 patients a year and the first is due to become operational from the end of 2017.
	Since October 2010, over 25,000 patients in England have benefited from the additional £650 million funding for cancer drugs that this Government has committed to providing.

Cancer: Drugs

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in each strategic health authority area who have received treatment following the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Norman Lamb: Information on the number of patients who have had cancer drugs funded by strategic health authorities (SHAs) under the interim cancer drugs funding arrangements in 2010-11 (from October 2010 to the end of March 2011).and under the Cancer Drugs Fund (from April 2011 to the end of November 2012) is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority Number of patients funded 2010-11(1) Number of patients funded in 2011-12 Number of patients funded from April 2012 to end November 2012 Total number of patients funded since October 2010(2) 
			 North East 420 696 321 1,437 
			 North West 266 1,044 (1)1,164 2,474 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 178 809 1,040 2,027 
			 East Midlands 178 871 662 1,711 
			 West Midlands 292 1,658 1,056 3,006 
			 East of England 246 1,486 1,297 3,029 
			 London 443 1,364 1,155 2,962 
			 South East Coast 306 1,241 874 2,421 
			 South Central 290 1,170 1,900 3,360 
			 South West 161 1,459 1,656 3,276 
			 Total 2,780 11,798 11,125 25,703 
			 (1) Some individual patients may be double-counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment through the Cancer Drugs Fund. (2) The number of patients recorded to end November 2012 in the North West SHA area has fallen since October 2012 figures were initially released. This follows a review by the SHA which identified that a number of patients did not in practice require the funding that had been agreed. Source: Information provided to the Department by SHAs.

Care Homes

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to provide support to assist persons to visit relatives in care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission guidance on compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, “Essential standards of quality and safety” (March 2010), sets out a number of outcomes service users should experience. Outcome 4 includes an expectation that care providers will help maintain the resident's welfare and promote their wellbeing, by taking account of all their needs, including for personal relationships.
	If the person visiting a care home resident has social care needs, there may be a role for their local council social services in assisting them. However, other needs, such as help with the cost of travel for the person visiting the resident, fall outside the responsibilities of the Department or social services.
	The White Paper, “Caring for our future”, which set out the vision for the reform of the care and support system, included a commitment to involve communities in decisions around health and care services, through local Healthwatch and health and wellbeing boards.
	From April 2013, the Government is establishing new local Healthwatch organisations, which will champion the views of people using health and care services. Local Healthwatch will help to connect care home residents to their communities, by talking with them about their experiences and scrutinising how care homes are working.
	This will help ensure that care home residents are not at risk of being isolated from their local communities and give them the opportunity to discuss their views and experiences.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission an independent inquiry into UK Government policy on, and matters concerning, myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Norman Lamb: We have no plans to commission an independent inquiry on this matter. However, the Department acknowledges that services have not always been sensitive to the needs of people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
	The Health and Social Care Act (2012) sets out a range of reforms that will improve outcomes, improve access to services and give people, including those with CFS/ME, more choice and control over the services they receive.
	People with CFS/ME should be involved in decisions about their care and we expect NHS professionals to ensure that they fully involve patients and their family and carers to enable them to be part of that decision-making process.

Drugs: Babies

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many pregnant women have been prescribed methadone in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many instances of infant mortality were attributed to neo-natal withdrawal symptoms as a result of maternal use of illicit or therapeutic drugs in each of the last five years;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2012, Official Report, column 674W, on drugs: babies, from which illicit or therapeutic substances babies born with neonatal withdrawal symptoms attributable to maternal use of illicit or therapeutic drugs were withdrawing in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Data on the number of pregnant women prescribed methadone are not collected centrally.
	The International Classification of Diseases system (ICD-10) is used to classify diseases treated in hospital. The ICD-10 code used to identify neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs, P96.1, does not allow for the identification of individual drugs.
	Between 2007 and 2011, the latest year for which data are available, there were no deaths attributed to neo-natal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs.

General Practitioners: Prescription Drugs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether penalties are imposed on GPs who frequently prescribe drugs for which cheaper alternatives are available;
	(2)  what guidance his Department issues to GPs on limiting the cost of prescription drugs where cheaper options are available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the potential savings that could accrue from GPs routinely prescribing cheaper alternative drugs.

Norman Lamb: General practitioner (GP) contracts include a clause in relation to excessive prescribing, setting out that they shall not prescribe drugs, medicines or devices where the cost is in excess of that which is reasonably necessary for the treatment of an individual patient. The NHS Information Services Portal provides local NHS prescribing advisers with prescribing data to enable monitoring of GP prescribing rates. These data can also be used locally to estimate potential savings opportunities.
	Primary care organisations may challenge GPs who are routinely identified as having excessive rates of prescribing of expensive branded medicines, without proper justification and who do not change their behaviour, as they could be in breach of their contract. However, there will always be circumstances where the prescribing of branded medicines will be appropriate and GPs must always use their clinical judgment to determine the appropriate treatment for an individual patient.
	The Department issued guidance to primary care trusts on strategies to achieve cost effective prescribing in 2007, and this was revised in 2010, entitled ‘Strategies to achieve cost-effective prescribing: guidance for primary care trusts and clinical commissioning groups’. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_120214
	Through the Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention Programme, the Department has also worked with partner organisations to develop practical guidance and prescribing support tools to enable local NHS organisations to deliver prescribing savings while ensuring that patients continue to receive appropriate, high quality care. In April 2012, the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre produced the latest version of their guide 'Key Therapeutic Topics—Medicines management options for local implementation.'
	http://www.npc.nhs.uk/qipp/key_therapeutics_topics.php
	The National Audit Office (NAO) estimated in their 2007 report 'Prescribing costs in primary care.' that £200 million could be saved through a more consistent use of generic medicines, in four commonly prescribed groups of drugs. For 2010, the NAO calculated that £415 million was saved, relative to 2005 prescribing patterns, through better use of lower cost generic medicines in these four groups of drugs.

Glaucoma

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in France regarding granting them a licence to allow the NHS to import Timoptol and Azpot for UK distribution.

Norman Lamb: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an Executive agency of the Department of Health, regulates manufacturers, importers and wholesale dealers of medicinal products for human use in the United Kingdom on behalf of the UK Licensing Authority, through a system of licences. The MHRA has no jurisdiction in any another European economic area (EEA) member states to licence their exporters of medicines.
	In the UK, importers of unlicensed medicines sourced from another EEA member state must hold a wholesale dealer's licence and are legally required to notify the MHRA in advance of the importation.
	The MHRA has received notifications for the importation of preservative free unlicensed Timolol (the active ingredient of Timoptol) preparations and has not objected to them. No notifications have been received for Brinzolamide (the active ingredient of Azopt).

Health and Social Services: Expenditure

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the total expenditure on (a) national health services and (b) social care services in England in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Daniel Poulter: Historic health spending data is published within the Department of Health's annual reports and accounts 2011-12 (HC66) and can be found in Core Table 1 Public Spending (see p22 in the annual report section). This is available in the Library.
	Also, it is important to note that for the years prior to 2011-12, total departmental spending included Personal Social Services (PSS) expenditure. However, as part of the 2010 spending review negotiations, the Department agreed to the transfer of responsibility for PSS spending to the Department for Communities and Local Government. Note 4 to Core Table 1 shows the PSS spending for those years and for consistency, these figures should be removed from the total departmental spending when comparing to subsequent years.
	Spending on adult social care services is a matter for councils to decide on. The NHS Information Centre publishes data on the money spent by councils in England on adult social care. Their latest publication, “Personal Social Services: Expenditure and Unit Costs—England 2011-12—Provisional Release” (published November 2012), shows historic spend on adult social care by councils, along with historic data In the annex entitled “Personal Social Services, Expenditure and Unit Costs, England, 2011-2012: Annex—provisional national gross current expenditure 1994-2012”. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Health Centres: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has disposed of its interest in Christchurch Health Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: It is anticipated a disposal of the Department's interest in the property will occur shortly.

Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to incentivising the collection of ethnicity data in primary and secondary care; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: There are national coding systems for data collection, which include race and ethnicity in place. Additional codes can be included as appropriate at a local level to reflect the demographic make-up of the local population. This allows local monitoring to take place in a way that supports service planning and decision-making and key processes such as the joint strategic needs assessments, but also allows national comparisons to be made.
	The Department, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is producing a short document that provides practical guidance for the national health service and councils (with social services responsibilities) on the collection of equality monitoring data about patients, service users, communities and staff. The document focuses on the equality characteristics, including race and ethnicity, given protection under the Equality Act 2010, as well as carer status and language.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how long on average have UK nationals claiming for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card Management Programme waited for receipt of payment, in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much has been received by UK nationals applying for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card programme in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many applications were made by UK nationals for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card programme in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: Under the European Health Insurance Card scheme,, citizens from one member state are able to access state provided healthcare in another member state on the same basis as local residents, while on a temporary visit.
	In some countries, local residents are required to make a financial contribution towards their care (typically around 30%); if this is the case, then so would United Kingdom citizens. The Department for Work and Pensions, on behalf of the Department of Health, currently processes reimbursement claims from UK residents who incur such costs and those who for whatever reason have been incorrectly charged.
	The total amount paid to UK residents and the total number of applications received over the past three years is shown in the following table. Figures prior to 2009 are not held centrally:
	
		
			  Amount reimbursed (£) Number of applications received 
			 2009-10 1,103,925 18,551 
			 2010-11 3,080,214 20,140 
			 2011-12 2,836,724 20,251 
		
	
	The operational target for processing claims for reimbursement of medical costs, which includes, verification with other member state authorities, is 90 working days.
	Case load is monitored in relation to the percentage of cases cleared within the 90 day target, which is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage of cases cleared within 90 days 
			 2009-10 94 
			 2010-11 96 
			 2011-12 87

Health Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what unweighted cash allocation per head was provided for each primary care trust in Yorkshire and the Humber in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 (i) in cash terms and (ii) at 2012-13 prices.

Daniel Poulter: Allocations per head for each primary care trust (PCT) in the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority in cash terms and in 2012-13 prices are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Per head allocation in cash terms Per head allocation at 2012-13 prices 
			 PCT 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Barnsley PCT 1,740 1,847 1,860 1,903 1,877 1,938 1,906 1,903 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 1,529 1,647 1,710 1,754 1,649 1,728 1,752 1,754 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 1,578 1,645 1,659 1,692 1,703 1,726 1,701 1,692 
			 Calderdale PCT 1,509 1,579 1,614 1,651 1,629 1,657 1,654 1,651 
			 Doncaster PCT 1,676 1,762 1,792 1,843 1,809 1,848 1,836 1,843 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 1,373 1,440 1,466 1,495 1,482 1,511 1,503 1,495 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 1,584 1,657 1,649 1,687 1,710 1,738 1,690 1,687 
			 Kirklees PCT 1,505 1,577 1,592 1,630 1,624 1,654 1,632 1,630 
			 Leeds PCT 1,480 1,542 1,525 1,552 1,597 1,618 1,563 1,552 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 1,561 1,639 1,688 1,737 1,685 1,720 1,730 1,737 
		
	
	
		
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 1,464 1,535 1,571 1,606 1,580 1,610 1,611 1,606 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,347 1,410 1,444 1,477 1,453 1,479 1,480 1,477 
			 Rotherham PCT 1,650 1,731 1,768 1,817 1,780 1,816 1,812 1,817 
			 Sheffield PCT 1,634 1,706 1,664 1,701 1,763 1,790 1,706 1,701 
			 Wakefield District PCT 1,662 1,743 1,761 1,805 1,793 1,828 1,805 1,805 
			 Notes: 1. Allocations have been put into 2012-13 prices using the projected gross domestic product (GDP) deflators for 2012-13 and the actual GDP deflator for earlier years. 2. PCT allocations show recurrent allocations only are not comparable across all years due to changes in services to be funded through these allocations. 3. The populations used to calculate allocations per head are Office for National Statistics estimates (unweighted). Source: Resource Allocation Team, Department of Health

Health Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the unweighted cash allocation per head is which will be provided for each care commissioning group in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2013-14 in (a) cash terms and (b) 2012-13 prices.

Daniel Poulter: Allocations per head, for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in Yorkshire and Humberside for 2013-14 in cash terms and in 2012-13 prices are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 CCG Cash prices (£) 2012-13 prices (£) 
			 NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG 1,172 1,149 
			 NHS Barnsley CCG 1,378 1,351 
			 NHS Bassetlaw CCG 1,267 1,242 
			 NHS Bradford City CCG 952 934 
			 NHS Bradford Districts CCG 1,177 1,154 
			 NHS Calderdale CCG 1,196 1,173 
			 NHS Doncaster CCG 1,324 1,298 
			 NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG 1,136 1,114 
			 NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG 1,121 1,099 
			 NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG 1,195 1,172 
			 NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG 1,086 1,065 
			 NHS Hull CCG 1,193 1,169 
			 NHS Leeds North CCG 1,142 1,120 
			 NHS Leeds South and East CCG 1,307 1,282 
			 NHS Leeds West CCG 1,062 1,041 
			 NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG 1,198 1,174 
			 NHS North Kirklees CCG 1,160 1438 
			 NHS North Lincolnshire CCG 1,156 1,133 
			 NHS Rotherham CCG 1,283 1,258 
			 NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG 1,234 1,210 
			 NHS Sheffield CCG 1,207 1,183 
			 NHS Vale of York CCG 1,050 1,030 
			 NHS Wakefield CCG 1,268 1,243 
			 Notes: 1. CCG allocations are not comparable with allocations to primary care trusts up to 2012-13 as the services for which CCGs have commissioning responsibilities are different, in particular CCGs are not responsible for commissioning primary care services and-specialised services. 2. 2013-14 allocations have been put into 2012-13 prices using the projected gross domestic product deflators for 2012-13 and 2013-14. 3. The population used to calculate allocations per head is the number of general practitioners (GP) registrations in each GP practice in each CCG in April 2012. Source: NHS Commissioning Board

Health Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surplus or deficit was returned by each primary care trust (PCT) in Yorkshire and the Humber at the end of (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and what outturn is expected for each such PCT at the end of 2012-13 in (i) cash terms and (ii) 2012-13 prices.

Daniel Poulter: The final accounts position of primary care trusts (PCTs) in the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) region at the end of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, and their 2012-13 forecast outturn position is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			 PCT name 2009-10 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) 2010-11 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) 2011-12 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) 2012-13 Quarter 2 Forecast Outturn Surplus/(Deficit) 
			 Barnsley PCT 3,461 3,395 2,953 3,500 
			 Bassetlaw PCT(1) 1,434 2,595 1,680 1,700 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 7,550 6,680 8,165 7,500 
			 Calderdale PCT 2,679 4,224 3,468 3,600 
			 Doncaster PCT 4,177 2,691 2,688 2,250 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 3,684 5,185 5,197 5,200 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 3,820 3,714 3,113 19,400 
			 Kirklees PCT 2,928 7,900 8,239 6,600 
			 Leeds PCT 5,002 20,124 25,086 23,200 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus(2) 2,222 2,181 1,783 1,400 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 1,249 3,693 1,998 2,000 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 317 242 209 (19,000) 
			 Rotherham PCT 2,042 2,192 2,196 2,200 
		
	
	
		
			 Sheffield PCT 4,479 499 489 500 
			 Wakefield District PCT 7,388 3,095 3,074 3,100 
			 (1) Bassetlaw PCT is being reported under the Yorkshire and Humber SHA region from 1 April 2011. Prior to this, it was reported under the East Midlands SHA region. (2) North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus was formed following the dissolution of North East Lincolnshire PCT on 1 September 2007.

Hospitals: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when each of the wards currently empty at Christchurch Hospital was constructed; and what the cost of building each such ward was;
	(2)  how many (a) wards and (b) beds at Christchurch Hospital are currently closed; and whether contingency plans are in place to make use of these in the event of winter pressure on beds at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Daniel Poulter: These are matters for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
	We have written to the trust's Chair, Jane Stichbury, informing her of your inquiries. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital Foundation Trust on the invitation of application to become public governors before a decision has been made by the Competition Commission on the proposed merger of those bodies.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has not issued any guidance on this matter to the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
	We are advised that Monitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, issued guidance on this issue to the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital Foundation Trust in November 2011. This guidance was based on a document entitled “Applying for a Merger involving an NHS Foundation Trust: Guide for Applicants” which was published by Monitor in July 2006 and is available on Monitor's website at:
	www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Merger_guide_0.pdf

In Vitro Fertilisation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how local provision of IVF treatment will be measured on future NHS innovation scorecards.

Daniel Poulter: The publication of an innovation scorecard is a commitment in the NHS chief executive's report Innovation Health and Wealth (IHW).
	It aims to drive national health service compliance with National Institute for Health and Clinical (NICE) technology appraisals, which include medicines and medical technologies, by publishing levels of compliance at a local level.
	The innovation scorecard will help the NHS identify gaps in compliance, which can then be justified, challenged or acted upon. The innovation scorecard is predicated on those technologies where a NICE technology appraisal exists. As there are clinical guidelines from NICE on the use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) but no technology appraisals relating to IVF, future innovation scorecards will not include IVF.

Mental Illness: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people living in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency and (b) Tower Hamlets were treated for mental illness in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Norman Lamb: The information is not available in the format requested. A total of 7,238 people accessed secondary mental health care services in Tower Hamlets in 2010-11. Figures for 2011-12 are not yet available. Figures for patients who accessed primary mental health care services are not available.
	Data source:
	Mental Health Minimum Dataset 2010/11, Health and Social Care Information Centre

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any investigation into whether the use of nabiximols could lead to dependency was undertaken prior to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's licensing of nabiximols as a prescription-only medicine for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.

Norman Lamb: Prior to the licensing of Sativex (also known as nabiximols) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as part of its assessment, considered the areas of tolerance, withdrawal, rebound, addiction (dependency) and abuse potential before reaching the overall conclusion that the balance of benefit-risk was positive based on data submitted in support of the marketing authorisation application. This is documented through information in the public domain, namely the UK Public Assessment Report for Sativex which is available on the MHRA website at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/par/documents/websiteresources/con084961.pdf
	and also within sections 4.4 and 5.1 of the published Summary of Product Characteristics for the product. A marketing authorisation for Sativex was issued on 16 June 2010.
	The longer term safety of the use of Sativex in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by the MHRA in conjunction with other European regulatory authorities. As new data emerges it is carefully evaluated by the MHRA and where necessary current prescribing advice is updated to reflect the new evidence.

NHS: Research

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to support the NHS Commissioning Board in its duty to promote research.

Daniel Poulter: In the Government's mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, we set an objective for the board to ensure that the new commissioning system promotes and supports participation by national health service organisations and NHS patients in research funded by both commercial and non-commercial organisations, most importantly to improve patient outcomes, but also to contribute to economic growth. This includes ensuring payment of treatment costs for NHS patients taking part in research funded by Government and Research Charity partner organisations.

Prostate Cancer

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives he plans to offer to academics, funding bodies and other professionals to promote study into prostate cancer in black and minority ethnic communities; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has funded the Prostate Cancer in Ethnic Subgroups study led by the university of Bristol and papers based on the results of this research have been published in several peer-reviewed journals.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including prostate cancer in black and minority ethnic groups. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	The NIHR supports and incentivises health care professionals to undertake research in a number of ways.
	The NIHR Clinical Research Networks aim to ensure health care professionals and patients from all parts of the country are able to participate in and benefit from clinical research.
	The Comprehensive Clinical Research Network funds the sessions of clinical consultants spent on non-commercial trials and studies supported by the network. The Clinical Research Networks allocate and manage funding to meet the NHS service support costs for eligible studies sponsored by non-commercial research funders.
	Through its training and career development programmes, the NIHR supports health care professionals at all stages of their career: integrated clinical and academic training; doctoral training; postdoctoral training; and more senior awards. The prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator award provides an additional incentive for the country's most outstanding clinical researchers.
	The NIHR Research Design Service offers advice and support on research design and methodology to researchers making funding applications and doing research within the health research system.

Schizophrenia

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the results of the 2012 National Audit of Schizophrenia published in December 2012 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to implement the 42 recommendations made by the Schizophrenia Commission Report.

Norman Lamb: The Department welcomes the 2012 National Audit of Schizophrenia and the report from the Schizophrenia Commission. Improving mental health services (including services for people with severe mental illness) is a key priority for this Government, and we have made it clear, through the Secretary of State for Health's mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, that we expect mental and physical conditions to be treated in a co-ordinated way, and with equal priority. The mandate sets the NHS Commissioning Board the objective of putting mental health on a par with physical health and closing the health gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole.
	Both reports include a focus on the physical health of people with schizophrenia. Improving the physical health of people with mental health problems, including severe mental illness, is one of the six objectives of the Government's mental health strategy. The strategy's implementation framework (published in July 2012) sets out specific actions which a wide range of local organisations can take to improve the physical health of people with mental health problems.
	The NHS outcomes framework for 2013-14 sets out how the national health service will be held to account for the outcomes it delivers. The framework includes an indicator (indicator 1.5) of the excess under-75 mortality rate in adults with serious mental illness.
	Improvements to this indicator will only be possible by improving the care which people with severe mental illness receive to improve their physical health, and to treat physical health problems.
	On 18 December 2012, following the reports from the Schizophrenia Commission and the National Audit, I convened a roundtable meeting with a number of leading stakeholders from health, social care and third sectors to establish how to improve care for people with schizophrenia. At that meeting a number of areas for improvement were identified and the group will be reconvening again later this year in order to update on progress.

Social Enterprises

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on plans to introduce social enterprise zones; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The Department has had no discussions on social enterprise zones with the Cabinet Office to date.

Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the efficiency savings made by Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 have been reallocated to frontline services.

Daniel Poulter: The national health service is managed locally and it is for individual primary care trusts to determine how best to use their budgets to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking into account local and national priorities.
	The Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) challenge describes the need for the NHS to identify up to £20 billion of efficiency savings, to reinvest in meeting the demands of an ageing population, and the increased cost of drugs, and medical technologies. QIPP is a locally led initiative. The design and implementation of efficiency plans aim to provide high quality, financially sustainable services that deliver good outcomes, meeting local patient needs.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Access to Work grants were allocated in (a) the Wirral, (b) Merseyside, (c) England and (d) the UK in each of the last 10 financial years.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the number of individuals assisted by the programme in the areas in question for the previous five financial years. Data for earlier periods is not available.
	
		
			 Number of individuals helped by Access to Work each financial year 
			 Area 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Wirral Local Authority 160 200 240 230 180 
			 Merseyside JCP District 850 1,040 1,350 1,290 1,030 
			 England 24,180 27,970 32,730 31,530 26,890 
			 GB 27,710 32,140 37,290 35,830 30,750

Data Protection

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not held by this Department.

Disability Living Allowance: Medical Examinations

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether patients' notes are taken into consideration when Atos is assessing eligibility for disability living allowance.

Esther McVey: Atos Healthcare does not assess eligibility for disability living allowance. Atos Healthcare act in an advisory capacity and all decisions on entitlement to benefit are made by DWP decision makers.
	To assist DWP in assessing eligibility for disability living allowance, decision makers can request support from Atos Healthcare for a face to face assessment or for an explanation/clarification of medical evidence already held. In both cases the decision maker may raise specific questions or request advice which contains information/diagnosis taken from other medical evidence that the decision maker holds.
	In making a decision on benefit entitlement a departmental decision maker will consider all available evidence, including the Atos Healthcare medical assessment report or advice and any evidence provided by the claimant's GP or other clinician.

Disability Living Allowance: Medical Examinations

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether successful claimants on appeal against an Atos decision not to award disability living allowance receive back payments of that benefit.

Esther McVey: The decision to allow or disallow a disability living allowance claim is made by decision makers who are DWP staff and not Atos. They do this by having regard to a range of evidence, guidance and advice which is likely to include material from Atos. Where a decision is overturned on appeal, unless the tribunal's decision is to be challenged in respect of its legal correctness or the decision is incomplete, arrears of any benefit owed is paid to the claimant or their representative as quickly as possible.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he proposes that the weekly prescribed amount in employment and support allowance will be uprated in different ways for people in the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The main rate of employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work-related activity group component of ESA are to be increased by 1% for each of the next three years. We will provide additional protection to those in the support group, who are less likely to be able to increase their income by moving into work. The support group component will therefore be uprated with regard to the increase in prices, as is currently the case.

Employment and Support Allowance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants were reassessed for employment and support allowance (ESA) in each month between February 2011 and June 2012; how many such people were subsequently awarded ESA; how many such people were declared fit for work; of those declared fit for work, how many appealed their decision; and of those who appealed their decision, how many appeals (a) were refused and (b) were upheld.

Mark Hoban: The Department regularly publishes Official Statistics on incapacity benefits reassessment (IBR). The latest publication released in November 2012 provides the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) outcomes for all claimants referred for reassessment up to the end of February 2012. The publication is available here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr
	Information on appeals against IBR outcomes is not available.

Employment Schemes: Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2013, Official Report, column 199W, on long-term unemployed people: mental health, how many and what proportion of people were treated for mental health issues under (a) Access to Work and (b) Work Choice (i) in total and (ii) in each parliamentary constituency in each year for which data is available.

Esther McVey: Access to Work and Work Choice do not provide treatment for mental health issues. They provide help for disabled people to gain or stay in a job. The following tables show:
	
		
			 1. Number of individuals helped by the Access to Work programme in each financial year between 1 April 2007 and 30 June 2012, whose primary medical condition was a mental health problem(1) 
			 Primary medical condition—mental health condition 
			  Number 
			 2007-08 190 
			 2008-09 230 
			 2009-10 410 
			 2010-11 520 
			 2011-12 680 
			 Q1 2012-13 500 
			 (1) Source—Access to Work database. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			 2. Number of Work Choice programme starts in each financial year between 25 October 2010 and 30 September 2012, whose primary medical condition was a severe mental illness or a mild to moderate mental health condition(1) 
			 Primary medical condition—severe mental illness or mild to moderate mental health condition 
			  Number 
			 2010-11 (25 October 2010-31 March 2011) n/a 
			 2011-12 2,160 
			 Q1and Q2 2012-13 1,480 
			 (1) Source—Work Choice database. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Work Choice information is extracted from the Labour Market System (LMS). The functionality to record an individuals Primary Disability on LMS was not available until 3 May 2011. Therefore the Primary Disability of individuals referred to Work Choice prior to 3 May 2011 is unknown. 
		
	
	Work Choice and Access to Work data are rounded to the nearest 10 to avoid disclosing information about individuals. Numbers smaller than 10 are suppressed. This means that data on specific conditions are not reportable at parliamentary constituency level.

Guaranteed Minimum Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will publish draft legislation to equalise guaranteed minimum pensions between the sexes.

Steve Webb: On 20 January 2012, DWP published a consultation on draft legislation for pension schemes that are required to equalise guaranteed minimum pensions to reflect the European law position on equal treatment of men and women as it applies in the field of occupational pensions.
	DWP is still in the process of considering the responses to that consultation, whether any alternative methods to equalisation should be considered, and whether any amendments should be made before the legislation is laid before Parliament.
	DWP will provide further information on its response to the consultation in due course.

Housing Benefit

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effect of housing benefit changes on (a) elderly people and (b) those with health problems who are unable to share a bedroom.

Steve Webb: Equality impact assessments on all the housing benefit changes have been published and these set out the impacts on different groups.
	The under occupation measure being introduced into the social sector from April does not apply to those over state pension age. Otherwise the size criteria allow one bedroom for a couple and take no account of individual circumstances. Claimants can apply to be considered for a discretionary housing payment in circumstances where sharing a room is not possible.

Housing Benefit

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effect of housing benefit changes on those in designated over-50s accommodation.

Steve Webb: None.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households whose income will be reduced by the application of the under-occupation penalty in (a) each parliamentary constituency and (b) each local authority area.

Steve Webb: The information is not available at local authority and parliamentary constituency level.
	Estimates of numbers affected by the under-occupation measure at national and regional level are available in the impact assessment:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf

Housing Benefit

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department made of the ability of tenants to manage their housing benefit budget; and if he will consider making it easier for local authorities to pay housing benefit direct to landlords.

Steve Webb: Local authorities have discretion to pay housing benefit direct to a claimant's landlord in any case they deem appropriate.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what regulatory mechanism he will implement his policy of uprating local housing allowance by 1 per cent in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Steve Webb: Local housing allowance rates are set by rent officers, under regulations set out in the Rent Officer (Housing Benefit Functions) Order. A separate Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order was published on 10 December.
	We intend that in 2014-15 and 2015-16, local housing allowance rates will generally continue to be set by the rent officer, at the lower of the 30th percentile of market rents or the previous LHA rate increased by 1%.

Housing Benefit: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 25 years or under claimed housing benefit; and what the total cost was of such claims in each of the last four years.

Steve Webb: The requested information is in the following table:
	
		
			 Housing benefit caseload and annual expenditure for claimants aged 25 and under since 2008 
			  Caseload Expenditure for financial year (£ million) 
			 November 2008 448,920 1,784 
			 September 2009 490,380 2,229 
			 September 2010 494,430 2,375 
			 September 2011 497,840 2,432 
			 Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Caseload figures are rounded to 10. 3. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and August 2012 is the most recent available. 5. Age is based on the age on the count date (second Thursday in the month), of either: (a) the recipient if they are single, or (b) the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple 6. Expenditure information for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 has been calculated using four quarterly data points. 7. November 2008 has been used for 2008-09 as it is the first dataset available and most representative of the year as a whole. 8. Expenditure information is consistent with published expenditure tables, which can be found at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/h_tables_autumn_2012_211212.xls Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Natural Gas: Storage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of risk to underground miners at Winsford salt mine arising from the Stublach Gas Storage Project.

Mark Hoban: The Health and Safety Executive has reviewed the pre-construction safety report for this development and concluded that the developers have made appropriate demonstrations relating to the prevention of gas escaping from the caverns. By ensuring the integrity of the caverns, all people including those working in the mine should be protected. HSE is currently reviewing the pre-operation safety report prior to the site being brought into use.

Natural Gas: Storage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) required the developer of the Stublach Gas Storage Project to supply technical studies and assessments to ensure that there will be no leakage of natural gas into the nearby Winsford Rock Salt Mine via geological pathways; and if he will direct the HSE to publish any such studies and assessments.

Mark Hoban: The pre-construction safety report included a demonstration of the structural integrity of the caverns. In a written answer, 28 November 2001, Official Report, columns 947-48W, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions directed that full safety reports should be excluded from public registers on security grounds.
	When an application is made under the Environmental Information Regulations for information regarding a specific safety report, material is supplied subject to redaction to remove sensitive material.
	If further information regarding geological issues is provided as part of the pre-operation safety report or at any other stage, this will be releasable, subject to any necessary security redactions.

Natural Gas: Storage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors the Health and Safety Executive took into consideration in its assessment of the Stublach Gas Storage Project March 2007 Pre-Construction Safety Report; and whether those factors included the potential health and safety risks to underground miners of natural gas migrating into the nearby Winsford Rock Salt Mine.

Mark Hoban: A key factor within the pre-construction health and safety report and assessed by HSE was a demonstration of the structural integrity of the caverns and ensuring they should be capable of containing the gas effectively. Storengy's demonstration of the integrity of the caverns is central to ensuring that those both on and off site, including working in the nearby mine and members of the public in the local vicinity, are protected.

Natural Gas: Storage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will direct the Health and Safety Executive to publish the complete underlying data of geological and testing work it has carried out in respect of the Stublach Gas Storage Project.

Mark Hoban: I am satisfied that the Health and Safety Executive has made and will continue to make available all information that it is empowered to release in answering requests under the Environmental Information Regulations. Operators are required to demonstrate that they have taken adequate precautions to control risk and to undertake any necessary surveys to support their demonstration. The Health and Safety Executive assesses the adequacy of demonstrations made by the operator. It has not commissioned geological surveys.

Natural Gas: Storage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of whether the Health and Safety Executive has fulfilled its statutory duties and complied with its other responsibilities with regard to potential health and safety problems arising from the Stublach Gas Storage Project.

Mark Hoban: The approach being taken to the assessment of the pre-operational safety report was subject to a full judicial review in June 2012. The review concluded that the Health and Safety Executive was applying the regulations appropriately and no directions were made.

Occupational Pensions

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential effect on public finances of salary sacrifice schemes where families earning over £150,000 can reduce their tax liability by redirecting pay into workplace pension pots.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The information is not available.

Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to increase wages each year.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	For the lowest paid workers, the Government's aim is to have a minimum wage rate that helps as many low-paid workers as possible, while making sure that we do not damage their employment prospects by setting it too high. In addition to the minimum wage, the Government is doing everything it can to help all working people on low pay with the cost of living. That is why we are cutting income tax for the low paid and taking 2.2 million people out of tax altogether.
	The Government supports the living wage and encourages businesses to take it up where possible. However, the decision on what wages to set are for employers and workers.

Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with trade unions on wages.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Ministers and officials meet regularly with trade unions on a wide range of issues. However, neither the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), nor other Ministers in the Department have had any recent discussions with trade unions specifically on wages. The decision on what wages are set is a matter for employers and workers.

Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider setting a target for wage increases in the private sector over the next five years.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government has no such plans. The decision on what wages are set are for employers and workers.
	For the lowest paid workers, the Government's aim is to have a minimum wage rate that helps as many low-paid workers as possible, while making sure that we do not damage their employment prospects by setting it too high.
	In addition to the minimum wage, the Government is doing everything it can to help all working people on low pay with the cost of living. That is why we are cutting income tax for the low paid and taking 2.2 million people out of tax altogether.

Pensions: Widowed People

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to inform widows in receipt of frozen category B pensions of the judgement in the case of Alma Yates vs the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; and whether he is giving consideration to offering compensation to those widows.

Steve Webb: The Department's legal liability following the Court's decision was restricted to the late Mrs Yates. This is because, in cases like that of the late Mrs Yates, where a Court finds that a decision made by the Department contained an error of law, the Department's liability in respect of people in an analogous position is restricted to periods following the Court's ruling.
	It is not now possible for a person to be in analogous position to the late Mrs Yates because the flaw in the relevant legislation which gave rise to the Court's decision was removed in April 2010—this was before the Court found in the late Mrs Yates' favour. As a result, the Court's decision has no prospective application.

Poverty: Children

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the Government's current method of measuring child poverty; and what steps he plans to take to improve this method of measurement.

Esther McVey: The Government remains committed to the targets in the Child Poverty Act 2010. However, the Government strongly believes looking at relative income in isolation is not a helpful measure to track progress towards our target of eradicating child poverty.
	In times of economic growth, the relative poverty line tends to rise. While the economy grew from 2003-04 to 2008-09, the Government spent over £300 billion in working-age welfare and tax credits, yet the proportion of the population in relative income poverty remained broadly flat and the previous government's target to halve the number of children in relative poverty by 2010-11 was not met.
	In times of recession the relative poverty line tends to fall. In 2010-11, 300,000 children moved out of relative poverty largely due to reductions in median incomes. Absolute poverty remained unchanged. It cannot be right that we can move children out of poverty through a recession.
	The Government is currently consulting on better measures of child poverty that will better reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today—tackling its root causes, providing high-quality education, and helping people into work through universal credit.
	The consultation runs until 15 February 2013, and can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/consultations/a00216896/measuring-child-poverty

Poverty: Children

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of (a) Universal Credit and (b) the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill on child poverty.

Esther McVey: The Government strongly believes looking at relative income in isolation is not a helpful measure to track progress towards our target of eradicating child poverty.
	In times of economic growth, the relative poverty line tends to rise. While the economy grew from 2003-04 to 2008-09, the Government spent over £300 billion in working-age welfare and tax credits, yet the proportion of the population in relative income poverty remained broadly flat and the previous government's target to halve the number of children in relative poverty by 2010-11 was not met.
	In times of recession the relative poverty line tends to fall. In 2010-11, 300,000 children moved out of relative poverty largely due to reductions in median incomes. Absolute poverty remained unchanged. It cannot be right that we can move children out of poverty through a recession.
	The Government is currently consulting on better measures of child poverty that will better reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today.
	In the autumn statement (2012), it was announced that in light of the national economic situation, certain working-age social security benefits and payments, certain elements of tax credits, and child benefit, would be uprated by 1% rather than by prices (as measured by the consumer prices index ('CPI')) for the tax years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
	While it is not possible to accurately project the trajectory of household earnings, it is likely that in-work families with children will benefit from the steady earnings growth forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility(1). Indeed for some families this increase in earnings may be enough that their income rises in real terms (i.e. after inflation is taken into account) even after the smaller increase in benefits.
	Where subject to an uprating, rates of benefits and tax credits will rise in cash terms. For instance, an out-of-work lone parent with two children receiving income support, child tax credit and child benefit would see a cash increase of around £4 a week over the two years covered by the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill. However, because the relative poverty income line moves each year in cash terms, too, some families will move below this line over the period.
	We estimate that the uprating measures in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 will result in around an extra 200,000 children being deemed by this measure to be in relative income poverty compared to uprating benefits by CPI. As earnings growth and inflation projections change these estimates will change. In addition, these impacts are not forecasts of the level of child poverty and do not indicate what will happen to trends over time. It is misleading to look at the impacts of uprating in isolation. The Government is investing in tacking the root causes of child poverty through making work pay.
	Work is the best route out of poverty. Universal credit will reduce poverty by making work pay and providing an effective route out of poverty.
	Universal credit will improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings. Improving work incentives will reduce the number of families where no one in the household goes out to work, and in the long-run will end cycles of poverty and worklessness:
	We estimate that up to 300,000 more people will enter work as a result of the introduction of universal credit through improved financial incentives alone. The increase in employment driven by improved incentives under UC is expected to reduce poverty and make an important contribution to reducing child poverty. At least half of expected extra people in employment are parents, and around half of these parents are expected to move into jobs of over 16 hours per week.
	We estimate between one and 2.5 million extra hours will be worked by those currently in work once universal credit is fully implemented. The vast majority of these extra hours will be worked by parents.
	Universal credit will also re-focus entitlements on lower income in-work households and should increase take-up of universal credit compared to the current complex system of benefits and tax credits.
	Around 3.1 million households will have higher benefit receipt under universal credit as a result of changes in entitlement and take-up—focusing on the lower income groups: 75% of the gainers are in the bottom 40% of the income distribution. The average impact of universal credit across all households is an increase of £16 per month.
	The introduction of universal credit will significantly improve the take-up of unclaimed entitlements, a powerful tool in tackling poverty. It will be easier for people to understand the level of benefit to which they are entitled compared to the current complex system of benefits and tax credits. In addition, there will be an 'automatic passporting' effect for people who currently claim some, but not all, of the benefits or tax credits to which they are entitled; a claim for universal credit will much more readily ensure that claimants receive amounts associated with their children and their housing costs.
	Before taking account of the expected increase in numbers of people in work as a result of universal credit, and excluding the impact of the minimum income floor for the self-employed, the introduction of universal credit is estimated to reduce the number of individuals in relative income poverty by some 600,000; including around 250,000 children and around 350,000 adults.
	In the specific case of universal credit, the estimated number has shifted compared to previous estimates for a number of reasons. Critical is the shift in the “poverty line” itself. If the poverty line used in the October 2011 impact assessment were applied to the new analysis the number apparently shifted above the line as a result of universal credit would be some 200,000 higher. The simplification of rates for under-25s also reduces the impact by around 100,000.
	The positive and dynamic behavioural effects of universal credit are important elements in a consideration of the poverty effects. The minimum income floor for the self-employed is expected to encourage those reporting very low self-employed income to increase their earnings to levels expected of employees in similar circumstances. However, before taking account of any expected behavioural change among the self-employed affected, modelling estimates that universal credit reduces the number of individuals in relative income poverty by some 400,000; including more than 150,000 children and around 250,000 adults. Again, these estimates do not take account of the expected increase in numbers of people in work as a result of universal credit and the consequent impact on poverty.
	Estimates of poverty effects are dependent on projected changes in demography from the Office for National Statistics, and the economy from the Office for Budget Responsibility, including earnings growth and inflation rates. As these projections change, the estimated numbers below various income thresholds will also change.
	The estimates of poverty impacts of universal credit are based on a comparison of universal credit fully in operation with the benefit and tax credit system projected forwards to 2014-15. This is not comparable with the estimates of poverty effects of uprating changes where the impact is assessed in 2015-16 assuming the current benefit and tax credit system is still in place, i.e. it does not take into account universal credit or personal independence payment. Full details of the methodology for estimating the impact of universal credit and uprating can be found in the published impact assessments(2).
	(1) http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/autumn_statement_2012_complete.pdf
	Annex B: Table B2: Determinants of OBR central fiscal forecast.
	(2) http://dwp.gov.uk/docs/welfare-benefits-up-rating-bill-ia.pdf
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/universal-credit-wr2011-ia.pdf

Remploy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions Ministers in his Department have met with trades union consortium officers on the closure of Remploy factories.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 328W.

Remploy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will establish an inquiry into the process of closing Remploy and reports of corruption in the sale of some Remploy sites.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham) on 20 December 2012, Official Report, column 935W.

Remploy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons Remploy factory sites that were identified as to be sold have not yet been sold.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 8 January 2013, Official Report, column 200W.

Remploy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the names of all former Remploy managers who have been sold or been given any of Remploy's former assets.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 174W.

Remploy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a list of any assets formerly owned by Remploy that have since been sold, in the Library.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson) on 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 174W.

Remploy

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the amount of money received from selling assets following the closure of Remploy factories.

Esther McVey: The Remploy commercial processes, including the ongoing disposal of assets from stage 1 factories and the upcoming process for stage 2 factory businesses, is a matter for the Remploy Board and we are not yet in a position to provide a finalised figure. Remploy will provide the total figures from the sale of Remploy assets when ail commercial activity is completed across the Remploy factory network in their annual report.

Social Fund: Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to the use of (a) community care grants and (b) crisis loans to support residents in the Vale of Clwyd who were affected by flooding in November 2012.

Steve Webb: Anyone affected by flooding in the Vale of Clwyd or anywhere else in Great Britain, can make an application for a Community Care Grant or Crisis Loan, and receive an award if their individual circumstances meet the conditions for a payment.
	Community Care Grants help people with specific needs who receive a qualifying benefit to establish themselves, or remain, in the community or to ease exceptional pressures on them and their family.
	Crisis Loans are repayable awards with no qualifying benefit conditions, but are only available when a person has insufficient resources to prevent a serious risk to health or safety to themselves or their family.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what savings from detected benefit fraud were made by (a) his Department and (b) local authorities in each of the last four years.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Savings from detected benefit fraud recorded by the Department is the amount of overpayments recovered from fraudulent cases as per the following table:
	
		
			 Value of recoveries on fraud currently classified debts 
			 Financial year Current classification fraud—value of recoveries (£ million) 
			 2008-09 25 
			 2009-10 28 
			 2010-11 33 
			 2011-12 40 
			 Total 126 
			 Source: Debt Accounting. This does not form official statistics but is derived from Management Information. 
		
	
	(b) The equivalent information for local authorities is not available as the Department does not collect data from them for the amounts recovered specifically relating to fraudulent overpayments.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of his Department's budget for benefit payments which is lost to fraud perpetrated by (a) UK citizens born in the UK and (b) claimants born outside the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Hoban: The requested information is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of Atos assessing an individual for eligibility for benefits in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost was of seeing the same individual on appeal.

Mark Hoban: Releasing details of Atos Healthcare's underlying financial model, in particular details of the unit cost of each assessment that they have factored into the contract would, or would be likely to, prejudice their commercial interests.
	It would reveal to their competitors commercially sensitive financial aspects of their contract which would disadvantage Atos Healthcare's competitive position in the marketplace. This in turn would prejudice the ability of the Department to secure best value for the taxpayer when the contract is re-tendered.
	Release of this type of key financial information would also undermine the effectiveness of the Department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers which is also not in the public interest.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he received in 2012 from the Canadian government on frozen state pensions for expatriate pensioners now living in that country.

Steve Webb: The Department has received no representations from the Canadian Government on the issue of frozen pensions, however the issue was raised by the Canadian Government in the bilateral discussions held with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in September 2012.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional services his Department receives from its telephone provider as a result of revenue-sharing 0845 telephone lines.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not receive any revenue from telephone service providers from citizens phoning 0845 numbers; a decision was made to stop the revenue share in December 2007. Therefore DWP receives no additional services.

Unemployed People: Travel

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the needs of jobseekers in relation to the costs of travel;
	(2)  what plans he has to improve support to jobseekers with travel costs.

Mark Hoban: The Government recognises that travel costs can be prohibitive for many jobseekers. To overcome this, DWP advisers can use the Flexible Support Fund to help claimants cover these costs for example if they need to attend job interviews or a training course. Work Programme providers also have the discretion to provide financial help if it is required.
	Holders of the 'job centre plus Travel Discount Card' will, during January 2013, be able to travel for free on almost every local bus service operated by four big bus companies. While it is Government policy to encourage people to use public transport, it is recognised that there will be circumstances where this is not possible and in these circumstances other expenses can be allowed.

Unemployed People: Travel

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he plans to make of the effectiveness of the Bus for Jobs initiative.

Mark Hoban: Given the very small scale of the initiative, it is not possible to assess the effectiveness in terms of helping people find and stay in work. However, we know that travel and transport are key enablers in terms of improving employment prospects and we are gathering information about our operational experience in supporting Bus for Jobs, to inform further discussions with Greener Journeys and Confederation of Public Transport about potential future arrangements.

Unemployed People: Travel

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) advice, (b) guidance or (c) training has been provided to Jobcentre Plus staff on January's Bus for Jobs initiative.

Mark Hoban: Jobcentre Plus staff have received operational guidance, which includes information on participating companies and the areas where free travel is available through January. This guidance is used in conjunction with existing guidance on the DWP travel discount card.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 331, on universal credit, whether the universal credit system will wait until the hash in a statement of an employee's earnings in a given period, obtained from the employer in a PAYE real time information submission, has been matched before calculating the employee's universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The universal credit system will assess the payment to be made to a claimant monthly. The earnings used to calculate the universal credit payment will be determined from any RTI data received in the assessment period—whether or not a hash match has been made in that period—and any earnings reported by the claimant. Hash matches form part of risk assessment data used both during and post assessment periods.

Welfare Tax Credits: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Halifax constituency are currently in receipt of child tax credits and working tax credits.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	This information is published in the HM Revenue and Customs publication 'Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics—Provisional Geographic analyses'.
	Information for December 2012 can be found here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-geog-stats/cwtc-geog-dec12.xls
	In this publication, the number of families in receipt of child tax credit (CTC) or working tax credit (WTC) in Halifax constituency can be found in Table 4.
	For convenience, the figures are stated here:
	Families in receipt of child tax credit in Halifax constituency—9.7 thousand.
	Families in receipt of working tax credit in Halifax constituency—5.9 thousand.
	Please be aware that families can be in receipt of both working and child tax credits, and these supplied figures cannot be summed to provide the total for Halifax constituency.

Work Capability Assessment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken was for the completion of a personal capability assessment for (a) employment and support allowance claimants and (b) income support claimants in each of the last four years.

Mark Hoban: Eligibility for incapacity benefit (IB) and income support (IS) on the grounds of incapacity was assessed under the personal capability assessment (PCA). Eligibility for employment and support allowance is assessed under the work capability assessment (WCA). Starting in October 2010, most claimants who receive IB and IS paid on the grounds of illness or disability will be assessed to see if they qualify for ESA. Since the start of the reassessment process no PCA have been carried out. Information on PCA assessment times is not available.

Work Capability Assessment

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of Atos work capability assessments have disagreed with the conclusion on work capability submitted by the claimant's GP or consultant.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available as the Department does not ask claimants' GPs or consultants about a patient's capability for work. This position was endorsed by the British Medical Association in Professor Harrington's third Independent Review of the work capability assessment.
	Whilst GPs and consultants are trained in diagnosis and treatment, Atos' healthcare professionals are trained in disability assessment, providing advice on the functional effects of a person's condition or disability to a DWP Decision Maker who will take the decision on benefit entitlement.

Work Capability Assessment

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will change disability benefit appeal rules to allow work capability assessments to be repeated as part of the appeal where the claimant has complained that the report of their original assessment contains factual inaccuracies relating to (a) discussions and (b) physical examinations which took place.

Mark Hoban: Following a work capability assessment (WCA), claimants receive a summary of the outcome, including details of the points that they have scored. If the claimant disagrees with the summary, they have the right to ask for an explanation of the decision and for the decision to be reconsidered—along with any further evidence they may wish to provide.
	If a claimant subsequently appeals against the decision made on their claim by a DWP decision maker, they will receive from Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) a copy of all of the papers to which the decision maker had access when reaching their decision—including the WCA report. Where the claimant believes that the report contains factual inaccuracies, they can include their concerns in any response that they make to HMCTS.
	HMCTS copy all correspondence from the claimant to DWP, so that DWP can consider any concerns raised and whether they wish to reconsider the decision under appeal.
	We have no plans to change these procedures.

Work Capability Assessment

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals of the outcomes of work capability assessments are based on a claim that (a) the Atos report does not accurately reflect discussions or physical examinations which took place at the assessment and (b) disagreement between Atos assessment reports and supporting medical letters from a claimant's GP or consultant.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.
	The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not have the information requested. However, the Department has recently released ad hoc official statistics for only those appeals allowed by the Social Security and Child Benefit (SSCB) Tribunal by benefit types and split by the primary reasons for doing so which is available at the following link:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/sscs_appeals.pdf

Work Capability Assessment

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve the accuracy of Atos work capability assessment reports.

Mark Hoban: The quality of Atos Healthcare's reports is subject to stringent quality checks and audit.
	Only 3.6% of assessment reports are found to be below standard (compared to a target of 5%), Atos receives complaints about only 0.6% of their caseload and only 0.2% of Atos reports are sent back to them by DWP Decision Makers for rework.
	However, we remain committed to continuously improving face-to-face assessment and the whole WCA process to ensure that it is as fair and accurate as possible. We have, for example, implemented Professor Harrington's recommendations to improve the face-to-face assessment including:
	Monitoring of free text used in reports; and
	Offering IT training for healthcare professionals to allow them to feel more confident in using appropriate amounts of free text in their reports.

Work Capability Assessment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) progressive conditions have undergone multiple work capability assessments since the introduction of those assessments;
	(2)  how many people with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) progressive conditions who have undergone multiple work capability assessments have received lower points scores when they have been reassessed.

Mark Hoban: Of all new employment and support allowance (ESA) claims starting between October 2008 and February 2012, the latest date for which data is available, around 730 claimants have Parkinson's disease recorded as the main health condition and have subsequently undergone at least one further Work Capability Assessment (WCA) as part of the same ESA claim.
	Data on the health conditions recorded is based on the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases, 2010 (ICD10):
	http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
	Due to the large number of health conditions described by ICD10 it would be possible to identify those considered “progressive” only at excessive cost to the Department.
	Decisions on entitlement to ESA rest solely with the Department's decision makers taking into account the medical assessment reports from Atos and any other relevant information. This includes, but is not limited to, the points awarded by the Atos Healthcare Professional at the face-to-face assessment. Claimants may be placed in Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) for medical reasons, after a successful appeal, based on a clerical assessment or where the DWP Decision Maker's decision is different to the recommendation made by the Atos Healthcare professional.
	Of the 730 claims described above, there have been no instances where a claimant who was placed in the work-related activity group based on the points awarded at the initial WCA, was later awarded fewer points at the next WCA on the same claim. Note that claimants placed in the WRAG for reasons other than the points awarded by the Atos Healthcare professional have been excluded.
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Work Capability Assessment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with Parkinson's disease undergoing an incapacity benefit reassessment for employment and support allowance have been (a) found fit for work, (b) placed in the work related activity group and (c) placed in the support group.

Mark Hoban: The requested information is not available.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average cost per claimant of conducting (a) an initial work capability assessment and (b) a reassessment.

Mark Hoban: Releasing details of Atos Healthcare's underlying financial model, in particular details of the unit cost of each assessment/reassessment that they have factored into the contract would, or would be likely to, prejudice their commercial interests.
	It would reveal to their competitors commercially sensitive financial aspects of their contract which would disadvantage Atos Healthcare's competitive position in the marketplace. This in turn would prejudice the ability of the Department to secure best value for the taxpayer when the contract is re-tendered.
	Release of this type of key financial information would also undermine the effectiveness of the Department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers which is also not in the public interest.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is given to employment and support allowance decision-makers regarding progressive conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Employment and support allowance (ESA) decision makers training provides an understanding of the WCA descriptors that indicate how a customer's health condition affects their day-to-day functionality. This element of their learning was developed by Atos Healthcare who carry out ESA Work Capability Assessments. Staff deciding on claims for ESA are also trained to seek help from an ATOS health care professional if they require specific information regarding the effects of a health condition on the individual.
	In addition, they have intranet access to the Customer Case Management System which provides an overview of medical conditions. Learning for ESA decision makers refers these decision makers to this site for explanations of medical terminology and conditions including those of a progressive nature.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) other progressive conditions placed in the Work Related Activity Group of employment and support allowance have been reassessed; and how many such people were found fit to work following that reassessment.

Mark Hoban: Around 360 people with Parkinson's disease in the Work Related Activity Group have undergone a repeat assessment following their initial assessment for a new employment and support allowance claim. Of these, around 20 people with Parkinson's disease were found Fit for Work at their first repeat assessment. This includes all new claims starting up to the end of February 2012 (the latest data available).
	Data on the health conditions recorded is based on the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases, 2010 (ICD10):
	http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
	Due to the large number of health conditions described by ICD10 it would only be possible to identify those considered “progressive” at excessive cost to the Department.
	Claimants with Parkinson's disease may perform better at subsequent work capability assessment in some instances since, while the underlying condition is unlikely to improve, a patient's treatment could be changed or optimised with a resulting improvement in function.
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 cases.

JUSTICE

Coroners

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many inquests were carried out for asbestos-related deaths in England and Wales in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what steps the Coroner Service takes to make people with asbestos-related disease and their families aware during their lifetimes of the role of the Coroner Service in investigating deaths due to asbestos-related disease.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice collects and publishes annual statistics on the number of inquests held by coroners including those following deaths from industrial diseases, but it does not specifically collect statistics about inquests into asbestos related deaths. The latest statistical publication can be found here:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/mojstats/coroners-stats/coroners-bulletin-2011.pdf
	A coroner's jurisdiction is derived from the presence of a body lying within their district so they do not have a role in end of life care. However, the Ministry of Justice has published a ‘Guide to Coroners and Inquests and Charter for coroner services’ which includes information on inquests into deaths from industrial disease. The guide can be found here:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/burials-and-coroners/guide-charter-coroner.pdf

Coroners

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of (a) the Home Department, (b) police forces and (c) coroners' offices on the use by coroners' offices of police officers in investigations of asbestos-related deaths; and what the outcome of such discussions has been;
	(2)  whether coroners have access to (a) medical records held by local health bodies, (b) documentation relating to completed or ongoing civil compensation claims and (c) records of state industrial disease benefits in the course of coronial investigations into asbestos-related deaths.

Helen Grant: Ministry of Justice officials have not attended any recent meetings regarding coroner investigations of asbestos-related deaths.
	The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. Coroners are solely responsible for the way they conduct their investigations.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001, whether the then Government intended that an applicant who suffered a criminal injury before 1 October 1979 but who successfully applied to have their case medically reopened on or after 1 April 2001 would have their loss of earnings claim capped at a figure based on average industrial earnings whilst benefits are deducted using current prices; if he will consider taking steps to mitigate the effects of using this methodology to ensure that such applicants receive a minimum level of compensation; and if he will consider allocating funding for retrospective payments to previous claimants.

Helen Grant: I cannot be sure what a previous Government's intentions were. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001 provided that cases which were reopened would be dealt with according to the terms of the Scheme under which the initial application was decided. Similar provisions apply currently under the 2012 Scheme.
	The Government has no plans to consider allocating funding for retrospective payments to previous claimants.

Employment Agencies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total spending on recruitment agencies by his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice holds the following contracts with recruitment agencies:
	Hays—Agency staff (NOMS)
	Brookstreet—Agency staff (NOMS, HMCTS and MOJ HQ)
	Capita—Interim managers/specialist contractors (NOMS and MOJ HQ)
	Gatenby Sanderson—Public appointments (MOJ HQ)
	The amount of monies paid to recruitment agencies to cover their fees and costs for temporary staff, such as agency (clerical and administrative) staff, interim managers and specialist contractors together with the fees incurred for sourcing staff (public appointments). Spend data for December 2012 is an estimate amount as the exact figures are not yet known.
	
		
			  £ 
			 July 2012 4,434,418 
			 August 2012 4,774,359 
			 September 2012 4,937,358 
			 October 2012 5,524,824 
			 November 2012 5,005,087 
			 December 2012 4,184,316

Employment and Support Allowance: Coventry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appellants in Coventry are waiting for the Tribunals Service to list their First-tier Tribunal Social Security and Child Support appeal in respect of employment and support allowance.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA).
	There are always a number of 'live' appeals at the various stages of processing before being listed for a tribunal hearing. The SSCS Tribunal does not hold the information on the live load broken down by benefit to specific venues. Information on the overall total of appeals from appellants in the Coventry area was 3,000 at 30 June 2012 (the most recent period for which statistics have been published). This data is taken from management information and figures have been rounded.
	All appeals to the SSCS Tribunal are registered in the processing centre in the region where the appellant lives, and the data on the load broken down by benefit can be provided at the level of these processing centres.
	For appellants living in the Coventry area appeals are registered in the Birmingham Administrative Support Centre (ASC) which covers East and West Midlands and East of England Government Regions and part of London Government Office Region. At 30 June 2012 (the most recent period for which statistics have been published) there were a total of 29,100 ESA appeals waiting to be heard in venues administered by the ASC out of an overall total of 62,200 appeals waiting to be heard in the regions covered by the ASC.
	HMCTS has continued to respond strongly to the significant increase in the number of appeals received by the SSCS Tribunal. Two additional venues (in Leamington Spa and Nuneaton) have been in use since November to hear some appeals which would previously have been heard at the Coventry venue. These additional venues have provided the capacity for an additional 36 sessions in November and 40 sessions in December and will continue to provide additional capacity, enabling the clearance of 500 appeals each month. This will reduce the number of appeals waiting to be heard at Coventry and, therefore, help reduce the outstanding caseload and bring down the average waiting time for an appeal hearing.
	Work to increase the Tribunal's capacity nationally is also under way. This includes the recruitment of additional fee-paid judges and medical members, increased administrative resource, increased access to hearing estate and the review and continuous improvement of administrative processes both internally and between HMCTS and DWP.

G4S

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether his Department is satisfied that the G4S contract to provide his Department with a total facilities management service which commenced on 1 February 2012 is being fulfilled as specified in the contract;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the implementation and operation of the total facilities management service contract which commenced on 1 February 2012 between his Department and G4S to service facilities in court tribunal and administrative buildings.

Jeremy Wright: The total facilities management contract between the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and G4S has been operational since 1 February 2012. During the three month mobilisation period and post go live MOJ and G4S have worked together, utilising the contract's comprehensive system for continual measurement of contractual performance, to enable transition of the delivery of services to a ‘Business as Usual’ steady state. This is identifying areas requiring improvement and areas that may be delivered more efficiently. All necessary improvements have or are being driven using contractual remedies and tools. Improvement is still needed in specific areas in order for the contractor to fully meet their contractual requirements. MOJ and G4S remain committed to working together to achieve full delivery of the services.
	The total facilities management contract between the Ministry of Justice and G4S includes a comprehensive system for continual measurement of contractual performance, on a monthly basis, using key performance indicators (KPIs). This system serves two primary functions: firstly to provide the MOJ and the contractor with an understanding of the current level of performance against the contract specification per affected property; and secondly to trigger a payment mechanism that is directly proportional (in terms of profit adjustment) to the level of service provided, per affected property.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the cumulative effect of raising the small claims limit in personal injury cases and reducing fixed recoverable costs through the road traffic accident portal.

Helen Grant: An impact assessment has been published with the consultation paper ‘Reducing the number and costs of whiplash claims’. This includes an assessment of the impact of the proposals on the Road Traffic Accident Pre-action Protocol, and a question has been asked about this in the consultation paper. Both documents are available to download from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/consultations

Personal Injury: Compensation

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of his Department's consultation on raising the small claims limit that concluded in 2007; and what the estimated cost to his Department is of the current consultation on that matter.

Helen Grant: The publication costs to the Ministry of Justice of the current consultation have been £1,387. No records have been retained of the costs of the 2007 consultation, ‘Case track limits and the claims process for personal injury claims’, but they are likely to be similar.

Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many temporary staff have been recruited in his Department in each month from July to December 2012.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice holds the following contracts with recruitment agencies:
	Hays—Agency staff (NOMS)
	Brookstreet—Agency staff (NOMS, HMCTS and MOJ HQ)
	Capita—Interim managers/specialist contractors (NOMS and MOJ HQ)
	The following table provides the information on the number of temporary staff recruited by the Ministry of Justice for the period 1 July 2012 to 30 November 2012.
	Temporary staff are defined as staff recruited on fixed terms contracts of less than 12 months (consistent with the Office for National Statistics definition) and agency and interim staff. A complete set of information for December 2012 is not yet available.
	
		
			  Number of people (headcount) 
			  Agency and interim/specialist contractors Fixed term contract 
			 July 2012 146 68 
			 August 2012 125 41 
			 September 2012 189 67 
			 October 2012 206 90 
			 November 2012 131 60 
		
	
	Temporary staff makes up a small proportion of the Department's overall work force. Both the number of temporary and permanent staff has, since September 2010, been reducing in size. The use of temporary staff enables the Department to flexibly respond to any changes in demand for our services.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of appeals against Atos work capability assessments were successful in the last year for which figures are available.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA), decisions in which the work capability assessment (WCA) is a key factor, rather than appeals against WCA decisions themselves.
	The following table shows the number and proportion of ESA appeals in which the work capability assessment was a factor, that were found in favour of the appellant in the financial year 2011-12 and from 1 April to 30 June 2012 (the latest date for which information is available).
	
		
			 Number and proportion of ESA (WCA) appeals found in favour of the appellant 
			  Total ESA (WCA) cases cleared at hearing Number of decisions in favour of appellant Percentage of decisions in favour of the appellant 
			 2011-12 159,800 63,300 40 
			 April-June 2012 40,800 17,300 43 
			 Note: The above data is taken from management information and values are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Young Offender Institutions

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget was of the secure youth estate in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2011-12.

Jeremy Wright: The budget of the secure youth estate in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2011-12 was as follows:
	(a) £245 million
	(b) £271 million
	These figures comprise the Youth Justice Board's budget for the commissioning of secure estate accommodation and associated services, and the Ministry of Justice budget for education contracts in public Young Offender Institutions.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to tackle reoffending amongst offenders under the age of 18.

Jeremy Wright: Youth Justice and the prevention of reoffending by young people is a key priority for this Government and we are seeking to tackle reoffending in a number of ways.
	The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 contains a range of provisions to promote effective rehabilitation of young offenders. For example it promotes greater use of restorative justice by increasing the flexibility of sentencing options available.
	The Ministry of Justice is also making a significant contribution to cross-Government initiatives such as the Department for Communities and Local Government led Troubled Families programme, which has a specific youth reoffending indicator.
	In order to address the high reoffending rates of young people leaving custody, we are also reviewing the whole youth custody system, with a view to putting an increased focus on education at its heart.

Youth Courts

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money his Department plans to spend on improving youth courts by 2015.

Jeremy Wright: There is no separate budgetary provision between youth and adult courts. Courtrooms for youth court cases are located in existing magistrates courts. The court estate is currently maintained via the capital maintenance programme which serves to identify and address required maintenance to ensure the HM Courts and Tribunals Service estate is safe and fit for purpose. The youth court estate is part of this maintenance portfolio.

EDUCATION

Chequers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has attended Chequers in an official capacity in each of the last 12 months.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has visited Chequers once in the last 12 months.

English Baccalaureate

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in each local authority area obtained an English Baccalaureate qualification; and what proportion of eligible students (a) nationally and (b) in each local authority area gained such qualifications in the last year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is available in the statistical first release (SFR), “GCSE and Equivalent Results (Provisional) and National Curriculum Teacher Assessments at Key Stage 3 in England, 2011/12”. This publication is available from the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/recentreleases/a00214981/gcse-national-curriculum-teacher-assessment-ks3-england
	Table 18 shows the English Baccalaureate by local authority and region.
	This information will be updated at 9.30 am on Thursday 24 January 2013 in the SFR: “GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2011/12 (Revised)”, and will be available from the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/a00219173/gcse-and-equivalent-results

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he proposes that England will be a signatory to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PISA 2015 Financial Literacy Assessment.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department is considering the costs and benefits of England's participation in the optional components of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's PISA 2015 study, including the assessment of financial literacy. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), will take a decision shortly.

First Aid: Education

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote the teaching of emergency life skills in schools.

Elizabeth Truss: The non-statutory framework for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education already provides a context for teaching young people about emergency lifesaving skills (ELS). At primary level, pupils can learn about basic emergency procedures and where to get help, and at secondary level they can develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic first aid procedures, including resuscitation techniques.
	Schools are also free to support their teaching by using reputable organisations to deliver training where that meets the needs of their pupils.

Official Engagements

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list his official engagements for 7 January 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), attended Cabinet and met Mary Bousted. He also held a range of departmental meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

Official Visits

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many visits were made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare in each month since May 2008.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 7 January 2013
	Since my appointment in September 2012,1 have made 10 official visits as follows:
	September 2012:
	No visits.
	October 2012:
	Ormiston Victory Academy, Norwich
	Visit to France, including to various childcare providers
	Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge
	November 2012:
	Brigshaw High School (‘The Old School’), Allerton Bywater
	David Young Academy, Leeds
	Chapel Town Children's Centre, Leeds
	Woodberry Down Community Primary School, London
	Visit to Germany, including to various schools
	Loughborough Children's Centre, London
	December 2012:
	No visits.
	January 2013:
	Durand Academy Early Years, London

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students residing in Luton unitary authority area were (a) eligible for and (b) successfully applied for the pupil premium in each year from its introduction to 2012.

David Laws: holding answer 14 January 2013
	The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the Deprivation Premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the Looked After Child Premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the Service Child Premium).
	In the financial year 2011-12, 7,470 pupils attending schools in Luton local authority area were eligible for the Deprivation Premium, the Looked After Child Premium or Service Child Premium, attracting £3.642 million.
	In the financial year 2012-13, 10,840 pupils attending schools in Luton local authority area were eligible for the Deprivation Premium, the Looked After Child Premium or Service Child Premium, attracting £6.753 million.
	The Department has calculated these Pupil Premium figures based on pupils who attend schools in Luton. We are unable to provide information on those pupils who actually reside in Luton local authority without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In 2013-14 Pupil Premium funding will rise from £1.25 billion to £1.875 billion per year. This will enable the level of funding for the Deprivation and Looked After Child Premium to increase to about £900 per pupil and the Service Child Premium will increase to about £300 per pupil—these values are estimates and actual figures will be calculated when exact pupil numbers are known.
	Pupils do not have to specifically register or apply for the Pupil Premium as we identify eligible pupils from the School Census return, local authority return SSDA903 (which provides information on children looked after by local authorities) and Ministry of Defence child pensions data.
	We are unable to identify how many pupils in Luton local authority may be eligible for Pupil Premium funding but are not attracting it because they do not claim Free School Meals (FSM). At a national level, benefits data from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs suggests that around 200,000 pupils aged four to 15 in England are entitled to receive FSM but are not currently claiming them. Some of these pupils may still be receiving the Pupil Premium through our “Ever 6” FSM measure which extends eligibility to pupils who have claimed FSM at any point in the last six years. It is nevertheless important that all eligible pupils are registered for FSMs to ensure that pupils receive a healthy school meal, and that schools are able to attract the appropriate Pupil Premium funding for their disadvantaged pupils. That is why the Department has recently published research which highlights local areas where take-up rates are low.(1)
	(1) ‘Pupils not claiming free school meals’ research can be found here:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR235

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of students residing in Luton unitary authority area that will be eligible for the pupil premium in each year from 2013 to 2016, by annual cohort.

David Laws: holding answer 14 January 2013
	In 2013-14, total Pupil Premium funding will rise from £1.25 billion to £1.875 billion per year. This will enable the level of funding for the Deprivation and Looked After Child Premium to increase to £900 per pupil and the Service Child Premium to increase to £300 per pupil. Illustrative Pupil Premium allocations using January 2012 pupil numbers show that Luton local authority will receive approximately £9.755 million of Pupil Premium funding in 2013-14 for 10,840 eligible pupils attending Luton schools. A break-down of this figure by pupil age group is at Annex A. Final allocations will be available next summer when pupil numbers from the January 2013 school census are confirmed.
	The Department has calculated these Pupil Premium figures based on pupils who attend schools in Luton. We are unable to provide information on those pupils who actually reside in Luton local authority without incurring disproportionate cost.
	We do not have estimates for the numbers of pupils who will be eligible for the Pupil Premium in Luton local authority between 2014 and 2016. Pupil Premium eligibility will be determined by the number of pupils who receive Free School Meals.
	Annex A
	
		
			 Illustrative Pupil Premium allocations based on pupils attending schools in Luton local authority in 2013-14 
			 Age Provisional number of pupils entitled to Pupil Premium in 2013-14 Provisional amount of Pupil Premium funding in 2013-14 (£) 
			 4 685 615,900 
			 5 787 708,300 
			 6 933 839,700 
			 7 922 829,200 
			 8 983 884,700 
			 9 994 894,600 
			 10 913 821,700 
			 11 981 882,900 
			 12 920.5 828,450 
			 13 899 807,900 
			 14 915 823,500 
			 15 903 812,700 
			 16 6 5,400 
			 Total 10,840 9,755,000 
			 Notes: 1. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown due to rounding. 2. The table uses pupil numbers based on January 2012 census data using full time equivalent (FTE) numbers of pupils aged four and over with age calculated as at 31 August 2011. 3. The table uses Pupil Premium funding levels for 2013-14—the Deprivation and Looked After Child Premium will be £900 per pupil and the Service Child Premium will be £300 per pupil.

Reading: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many pupils in Tower Hamlets participated in the Every Child a Reader scheme for reading recovery in 2010-11 and 2011-12;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the (a) value for money and (b) effectiveness of the Every Child a Reader scheme in raising attainment for individual pupils and schools in Tower Hamlets.

David Laws: In 2010-11, 363 children participated in the Every Child a Reader scheme in Tower Hamlets, of whom 323 received the Reading Recovery intervention. In 2011-12, 313 children participated in the scheme, of whom 269 received the Reading Recovery intervention.
	We have not made any specific assessment of the value for money or effectiveness of the Every Child a Reader scheme in Tower Hamlets. However, an independent evaluation of the national programme was published by the Department in May 2011.
	Among the key findings of the report was that Every Child a Reader had an overall positive impact on school level reading and writing attainment and that Reading Recovery had a positive impact on reading.
	The full evaluation report is available on the Department's website.
	ECaR Evaluation—Main Report
	ECaR Evaluation—Technical Report

Schools: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what budget he plans to provide for schools capital expenditure in Tower Hamlets between 2011-12 and 2016-17.

David Laws: Capital support for schools in Tower Hamlets in 2011-12 totalled £88.5 million (including £68.8 million for Building Schools for the Future projects), and in 2012-13 is currently expected to total £75.9 million (including £52.9 million for BSF projects). An announcement about allocations for 2013-14 and 2014-15 will be made shortly. Government spending decisions for 2015-16 and beyond are yet to be announced.

Schools: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many secondary schools in (a) Feltham and Heston constituency, (b) London and (c) the UK will not be running work experience schemes in 2013.

Matthew Hancock: holding answer 10 January 2013
	Schools are currently not required to provide information about work experience and therefore we do not hold the information requested.
	From September 2013 it will be a requirement for schools and colleges to record work experience by 16 to 18-year-olds as a part of Government plans to expand provision for this age group. This means we will have access to this information in future academic years.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 597W, on sick leave, if he will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing workplace stress and staff absences in his Department.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has no plans to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based practices. The Department is committed to supporting the well-being of its employees and has a number of procedures and policies in place to achieve that, These include occupational health assessments used to identify specific support or adjustments for employees that are suffering from stress.

Young People: Unemployment

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent steps he has taken to support 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training.

David Laws: We are raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training in England to 17 later this year and to 18 in 2015. We are spending a record £7.5 billion in 2012-13 to ensure that there are sufficient education and training places for all 16 to 19-year-olds in England who wish to remain in education and training.
	Young people who are not in education, employment or training are often focused on employment, but lack the necessary skills or experience to secure sustainable jobs. On 10 January, the Government published a discussion paper on a proposed new Traineeships programme—this is available at:
	www.education.gov.uk/traineeships
	Traineeships would provide young people aged 16 to 24 in England with a flexible package of support including work skills training, high quality work experience, English and mathematics. This will equip young people with the skills they need to compete for apprenticeships and other jobs.
	Education and training is an area of devolved responsibility. Information about education and training provision for young people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is available from devolved Administrations.
	Across Great Britain, young unemployed people receive intensive support from Jobcentre Plus and from the Government's new Work programme to help them look for work, develop their skills and secure real, lasting jobs. In addition, we are spending almost £1 billion to provide additional targeted help through the Youth Contract, including through work experience and wage incentives.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Charities: Finance

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of expenditure was allocated to charities by each local authority in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Don Foster: This is not information the Department holds or requires from local authorities.
	We are reining in top-down inspection and micro-management of local government. Instead we are increasing local accountability of local government, such as through the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency which enshrines the principles of transparency and sets out minimum expectations of what data should be published, thereby empowering local people to scrutinise the spending decisions of local councils. The publication of spend data over £500, grants to the voluntary and community sector, and copies of contracts and tenders to business and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector form part of that minimum expectation.
	The Department has recently consulted on updating the Code of Recommended Practice and making it a legal requirement to publish data specified in the code. Officials are currently considering the responses. The Local Government Association has also recently consulted on publishing voluntary and community sector spending data, so they can help local authorities publish this information in a useful and comparable way.

Cycling

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide details on the scheme to reimburse staff in his Department for cycling mileage; and how much such reimbursements have cost his Department in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Department allows staff to claim for business mileage travelled by a bicycle, as opposed to travelling to a business meeting by car or train. The Department pays the prevailing HMRC rate.
	£14.20 has been claimed since 2010-11. This reflects the practical fact that staff are unlikely to travel a very long distance by bicycle, as opposed to travelling by car or train, etc.
	My Department also operates a Cycle to Work scheme for staff, but this is separate from business mileage.

Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the kennelling costs to all local authorities due to dangerous or stray dogs in England and Wales were in 2012.

Brandon Lewis: These figures are not held centrally.

Fire Services: Greater London

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the London Fire Authority regarding the management of the AssetCo contract.

Brandon Lewis: This is an operational matter for the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which is overseen by the London Mayor Assembly.
	Ministers regularly meet with representatives of local government to discuss a range of matters; such meetings are published on my Department’s website.

Fraud

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 277W, on fraud, if he will provide specific details of the two cases of fraud experienced by his Department in July 2010; and whether any police arrests were made.

Brandon Lewis: The two cases of fraud experienced by the Department, in July 2010; were both related to season ticket advance abuses. For one of these cases police were involved but did not charge the individual with any offence.
	The total value of £5,105 was recovered from both individuals and they were dismissed.

Green Belt

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on local authorities proposing to build on Green Belt land as part of their development plan.

Nicholas Boles: The Government attaches great importance to Green Belt protection and the coalition agreement pledges to maintain its safeguards. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.
	Green Belt serves:
	to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
	to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
	to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
	to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
	to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
	Green Belt policy, as outlined in Chapter 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework, is clear that most forms of new development are inappropriate development in the Green Belt and should not be approved other than in very special circumstances. Similarly, Green Belt boundaries should not be altered other than in exceptional circumstances, through the preparation or review of Local Plans, a process involving public consultation and robust, independent examination in public.
	There is some brownfield land in the Green Belt, for example, disused quarries or scrap-yards, and local councils can consider putting such brownfield land to better use in a way which is consistent with Green Belt policy and provided they preserve the openness of the Green Belt.
	It is the Government's policy to revoke the remaining Regional Strategies of the last Administration, subject to the outcome of environment assessments currently under way. This will remove top-down pressure to review Green Belt boundaries in around 30 areas across England.

Local Government: Equal Pay

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to assist local authorities in meeting requirements for equal pay for men and women; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: This Government remains fully committed to equality and to equal pay in every workforce. However, local authorities are independent employers in their own right and the Government has no role in the way they manage their workforces, including how they exercise their responsibilities to ensure they comply with equal pay legislation.
	The Government recognises that some authorities may still be seeking to manage costs arising from equal pay claims. In announcing the Provisional Local Government Settlement on 19 December 2012, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), confirmed that he would be taking steps to enable authorities to use capital receipts from asset sales raised in or after 2012-13 to fund outstanding equal pay costs. In addition, the Government proposes to amend relevant regulations to extend an accounting flexibility allowing authorities not to charge such costs to their revenues until payments are due. This flexibility, which would otherwise end on 1 April 2013, would be extended to 1 April 2016.

Local Government: Newspaper Press

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to allow local authorities to publish statutory notices only on their websites rather than in local newspapers.

Brandon Lewis: The purpose of statutory notices is to ensure that the public are informed of decisions by their local authority which may affect their quality of life, local amenity or their property. This is especially the case in relation to planning applications, where there is a limited period for local residents to make representations.
	Notwithstanding, Ministers have been clear that, in an internet age, commercial newspapers should expect over time less state advertising as more information is syndicated online by local authorities for free. The flipside is the free press should not face state unfair competition from town hall newspapers and municipal propaganda dressed up as local reporting.

Non-domestic Rates

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to review the business rate multiplier; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Government's commitment to the annual Retail Price Index cap means that there has been no real terms increase in business rates since 1990.
	We announced in the autumn statement of 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, a further one year extension—making three and a half years in total—of the temporary doubling of Small Business-Rate Relief. The increased level of relief will therefore apply throughout the whole of the 2013-14 billing year.
	We also announced a new measure which will mean that empty new builds will be exempt from empty property rates for up to 18 months up to state aid limits between 1 October 2013 and 31 October 2016.
	Further support on business rates would need to be balanced against the costs involved, the targeted support we have already provided on business rates and the overriding need to reduce public expenditure and support the economy generally by reducing the deficit.

Parking: Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assist in establishing a free parking scheme in Morecambe.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 10 January 2013
	The Government is supporting the Morecambe town team bid—one of the 27 Portas Pilot areas benefiting from up to £100,000 and a comprehensive package of support to test their plans, including those for parking.
	In relation to free parking, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 1 November 2012, Official Report, columns 345-46W.

Shops

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 130W, on shops, what his Department's projections are for the sales profits and surplus rental income of the pop-up shop at Eland House for the year 2013.

Mark Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer. This is a matter for StartUp Britain.

Social Enterprises

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the accountability and regulatory arrangements for social enterprises delivering services under commission from local authorities using public funds; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Ministers have not issued guidance to local authorities on these matters. Local authorities remain accountable for the performance of their statutory functions. When they commission other organisations to deliver services on their behalf, they must put appropriate oversight arrangements in place.
	The Government values social enterprise activity for its ability to remain financially self-sustaining while seeking innovative ways to serve an important social purpose. The Department issued best value guidance in 2011 which made it clear that local authorities should be responsive to the benefits and needs of voluntary and community sector organisations of all sizes, and should not seek pass on larger funding reductions to local authorities than they take on themselves. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/5945/1976926.pdf

Social Enterprises

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on plans to introduce social enterprise zones; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.

Social Rented Housing

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the gap between demand and supply of social housing in (a) Greater London and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: There were 1.85 million households on local authority waiting lists in England on 1 April 2012, 380,000 of whom were in London. During 2011-12, 250,000 social housing lettings were made to tenants new to social housing in England, 31,000 of which were in London.
	Under the previous Administration housing waiting lists rose from 1.02 million in 1997 to 1.76 million in 2010. At the same time, the social housing stock decreased from 4.4 million in England in 1997 to 4.0 million in 2010.
	This Government has taken steps to address this situation by increasing the supply of affordable housing and by reforming the social housing system so that local authorities and social landlords can make more efficient use of the social housing stock. It is important to appreciate that these reforms have only recently been enacted and the current waiting list is reflective of the outdated system they replace.
	170,000 more affordable homes are being delivered across England during this spending review period (2011 to 2015) with £19.5 billion investment—with Government providing £4.5 billion and the private sector £15 billion.
	Within London, I also note that the Mayor's proposed Housing Strategy states:
	“£1.8 billion of public funding has been secured by the Mayor which will unlock an estimated additional £3.7 billion of other investment for London to enable 55,000 affordable homes to be delivered between 2011-15.”
	(Mayor of London, ‘The Revised London Housing Strategy’, December 2011, p.35).
	Almost 58,000 affordable homes were delivered in 2011-12. This is a third more than the average delivery in the ten years between 2000-01 and 2009-10.
	Last year the Housing and Communities Agency exceeded its target by over 13,000.
	The Localism Act 2011 has made radical reforms to the social housing system. Local authorities are now able to decide who qualifies for social housing their area and social landlords are free to match the length of tenancy to the needs, of the household.
	By making full use of these new freedoms, local authorities and social landlords can use their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of their local area.
	The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill, subject to the approval of Parliament, will ensure that tenants who choose to cheat the system can be detected more easily so that the homes they occupy can be reallocated to those in genuine need on the waiting list.

Video Conferencing

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, columns 279-80W, on video conferencing, if he will provide details of his Department's inclusive call tariff.

Brandon Lewis: As part of its main ICT solution the Department maintains a number of data circuits that link DCLG sites to each other to make an internal network. All video conference calls that involve departmental sites are routed via this established internal network to ensure that there are no additional call charges incurred. The call tariff is therefore zero for internal video conference calls.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet: Chequers

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister how many Cabinet meetings have taken place at Chequers since September 2011.

David Cameron: None.

Development Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what his priorities are for the next meeting of the UN High Level Panel on the post-2015 development framework.

David Cameron: My objective for the High Level Panel meeting in Monrovia is to build further consensus on the panel's proposals, including on how to tackle the underlying causes of poverty.

Food Banks

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has received any invitations to visit food banks since May 2010; and whether he plans to accept any current invitations.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 29 November 2012, Official Report, column 455W.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Data Protection

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Jo Swinson: This information is not held. Ministers handle official information in accordance with Government guidance.

Export Credit Guarantees: Argentina

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has had from (a) individuals and (b) groups regarding the £45 million in debts owed to UK Export Finance by Argentina.

Michael Fallon: Including the hon. Member's earlier parliamentary question (136356) and ministerial letter, UK Export Finance has received five inquiries in the last 12 months:
	three from individuals; and
	two from groups.

Fireworks

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the amount of spending by members of the public on fireworks in the last year for which figures are available.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information nor is it available from the Office for National Statistics. Trade data from HMRC indicate that the UK imported nearly £23 million of fireworks in 2011 and there is no significant UK firework production. However, there is no indication of what proportion of these imports were purchased or used by members of the public as opposed to being used in professionally organised firework displays.

Manufacturing Industries: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to (a) promote and (b) encourage investment in manufacturing industries in Ashfield constituency.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is engaging closely with all local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to maximise opportunities for collaboration at the local level, including identifying local strengths and opportunities for foreign investors and developing local propositions in response to specific inquiries.
	In Nottinghamshire the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire LEP (D2N2) promotes inward investment in the local area. D2N2 has signed an agreement with UKTI's delivery partner on local investment so that it has access to all inward investment inquiries and in addition UKTI is beginning work on a series of marketing initiatives which will seek to increase awareness of the local offer among its overseas network.
	The LEP has also recently been successful in securing a multi million Regional Growth Fund bid, which, following due diligence, should be open to manufacturing businesses.
	This opportunity has the potential to allow manufacturers to become more competitive and will add to the appeal of the area in attracting inward investment.

Manufacturing Industries: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the planned sector-specific industrial strategies.

Michael Fallon: BIS Minsters and officials are liaising with the devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government, to take forward the sector specific industrial strategies.
	The Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), led a discussion on industrial strategy at a meeting of the Scottish Business Board chaired by the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), on 26 November 2012. Attending that meeting were the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), and business leaders and officials from both the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office.
	In addition, BIS officials visited Scotland in September 2012 to discuss the planned sector specific industrial strategies and have continued to engage with them subsequently.
	Each of the 11 sector teams leading the development of the sector strategies is also engaging with all of the devolved Administrations and Territorial Offices, including the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office.

PAYE

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to prepare small and medium-sized enterprises for the introduction of real-time PAYE; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the preparedness of small and medium-sized enterprises for the introduction of real-time PAYE; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: BIS helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prepare for the introduction of real-time PAYE. This includes meetings with SME representatives and, professional bodies to hear their concerns and relay them to HMRC for their consideration as they have developed the design of the real-time information (RTI) system and the support and guidance for SMEs. For example HMRC have recently published some specific easements to the requirement to report RTI to HMRC “on or before” the date employees are paid.
	BIS and HMRC meet on a monthly basis to ensure both Departments are engaging with their customers on PAYE real time information, particularly small and micro businesses. BIS has also provided HMRC with additional opportunities to raise awareness of real time PAYE through our SME intermediary networks and written communications.
	HMRC RTI communications and awareness plans that employers, particularly small employers, want to know about change at the time they need to take action. HMRC wrote to all employers in October 2012 telling them what they needed to do to prepare for real-time PAYE and HMRC will be writing to employers again in February 2013. They will continue to work closely with employers, payroll providers, software developers and business representatives to make it easy for employers to comply with operating PAYE in real-time, and to make it part of their normal payroll processes.
	HMRC is confident that awareness and preparedness are increasing in line with expectations. Employers in the pilot told HMRC that it took six months on average to prepare. This information was used in deciding when to intensify the awareness campaign. Results on awareness have increased significantly between September and November.
	BIS will continue its close engagement with HMRC and its stakeholders on real-time PAYE as it is rolled out.

Postgraduate Education

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) UK national and (b) foreign students graduated from UK higher education institutions with (i) a doctoral and (ii) a masters level science and technology degree in the last three years.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on qualifiers from UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the number of UK, EU and Non-EU domiciled students qualifying from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses from UK HEIs for
	the academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 is provided in the following table.
	Information for the academic year 2012/13 will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
	
		
			 Postgraduate qualifiers(1) from STEM(2) courses by domicile(3): UK higher education institutions: Academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			 Domicile Postgraduate level 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 UK Doctorate 7,675 7,720 7,790 
			  Masters 24,820 28,490 28,910 
			  Other 10,255 10,920 10,925 
			      
			 Other EU Doctorate 1,850 1,895 1,860 
			  Masters 5,575 6,535 7,250 
			  Other 565 535 580 
			      
			 Non-EU Doctorate 3,495 3,905 4,125 
			  Masters 22,315 26,580 27,510 
			  Other 1,080 1,170 1,220 
			 (1) Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. (2) Subject information is shown as full person equivalents (FPEs) in the table. FPEs are derived by splitting student instances between the different subjects that make up their course aim. (3) Domicile refers to a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Students: Terminal Illnesses

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support is available to students who have suspended their studies due to being diagnosed with a serious illness.

David Willetts: Full-time undergraduates in higher education who have suspended their studies due to illness, will continue to receive payments of grants and loans for living and other costs for the first 60 days of absence from their course.
	Where the period of suspension exceeds 60 days, Student Finance England has discretion to continue paying grants and loans for living and other costs to students who have suspended their studies. SFE will take into account the reasons for the student's absence, the length of the absence and the financial hardship caused by withdrawing support, when making their decision.

Supermarkets: Unfair Practices

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to tackle misleading supermarket offers;
	(2)  what recent discussions his Department has had with supermarkets regarding misleading offers in their stores.

Jo Swinson: BIS officials recently met with representatives from some supermarkets and other retailers to discuss how price indications which are not actually misleading, could nevertheless be made clearer and more helpful. A further meeting is planned on this subject in the coming months.
	This Department has not had any discussions with supermarkets about alleged misleading offers in their stores in the recent past. I understand, however, that some supermarket companies have been engaged in discussions with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) during 2012 on how to avoid misleading consumers.
	Misleading offers by any trader are already regulated. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) 2008 make it an offence for businesses to mislead consumers as to the price of products or the basis on which special offers are made. The regulations are independently enforced by local authority trading standards services and the OFT. The OFT recently announced that it had reached an agreement with eight leading supermarket chains, who have agreed to a set of OFT principles to address concerns over special offers and promotions for food and drink. The principles clarify the OFT's view on how promotional claims should be used so that consumers can rely on them being fair and meaningful. A copy of the OFT's press notice can be found at:
	http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2012/116-12

Women's Library

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with London Metropolitan University its decision to divest its responsibilities for the Women's Library based in Bethnal Green and Bow and steps to ensure that the Library remains accessible to all in its current purpose built premises.

David Willetts: Higher education institutions are autonomous and responsible for how they manage their assets. The Women's Library has now transferred to the London School of Economics (LSE), which is committed to its future. This year, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has provided some £90,000 of special funding to support the library and is in discussion with LSE about future funding.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Monarchy: Marriage

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) the Church of England and (b) the Roman Catholic Church on the status of a member of the Roman Catholic Church who married into the Royal Family and had a child.

Nicholas Clegg: I have met with members of the Church of England and the Catholic Church on several occasions to discuss various issues. Both the Church of England and the Catholic Church have been kept informed at every stage as we have developed the Succession to the Crown Bill.

CABINET OFFICE

Business: East of England

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium-sized businesses were operating in (a) Witham constituency, (b) Essex and (c) the east of England in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small and medium-sized businesses were operating in (a) Witham constituency, (b) Essex and (c) the East of England in each year since 1997. (137418)
	The table below represents the number of businesses operating in the Witham constituency, Essex and the East of England and this has been defined by using a count of enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE. Small businesses have been defined as those with an employment between 0 and 49 and medium-sized businesses as those with an employment between 50 and 249.
	Data are only available for the Witham constituency from 2010 onwards as the constituency was only created in 2010. Data for the region and county are available back to 2003.
	
		
			  East of England Essex county Witham constituency 
			  Small0 to 49 Medium50 to 249 Small0 to 49 Medium50 to 249 Small0 to 49 Medium50 to 249 
			 2003 190,155 3,085 45,890 600 n/a n/a 
			 2004 191,770 2,905 46,475 590 n/a n/a 
			 2005 198,950 2,855 48,340 565 n/a n/a 
			 2006 202,710 2,960 49,555 600 n/a n/a 
			 2007 208,135 2,995 50,870 615 n/a n/a 
			 2008 214,925 3,080 52,390 630 n/a n/a 
			 2009 214,000 3,095 52,460 650 n/a n/a 
			 2010 209,650 3,145 51,450 645 3,615 65 
			 2011 206,895 3,140 50,780 600 3,590 60 
			 2012 212,455 3,285 52,390 695 3,640 65 
			 Note: The figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. 
		
	
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/uk-business/index.html

Child Benefit

Christopher Chope: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Office for National Statistics has classified the higher income child benefit charge as a tax.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As the Director General of the ONS, I have been asked to reply to your recent question.
	ONS announced that the Higher Income Child Benefit Charge was to be classified as a tax in the October 2012 release “National Accounts Sector Classification—Classification Update, October 2012” which can be found on the ONS website here
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/na-classification/national-accounts-sector-classification/classification-update---october-2012/index.html

Employment: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (137425)
	Public and private sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
	Estimates on people employed in the third sector are currently not available from the APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are generally included in private sector estimates.
	The table shows the number and percentage of people who were employed in the public or private sector in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency, according to APS interviews held during the period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2007 to 2011.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Number of people employed in the public and private sectors(1) in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency 
			  Public Private 
			 12 months ending: Thousand Percentage Thousand Percentage 
			 December 2007 12 28 31 72 
			 December 2008 11 27 32 73 
			 December 2009 12 29 29 71 
			 December 2010 12 29 30 71 
			 December 2011 12 29 29 71 
			 September 2012(2) **12 31 **28 69 
			 (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 559W, on charities: Israel, whether he has informed the Charity Commission of the European Council decision of 16 June 2005 on the abolition of financial and tax incentives, subsidies and exemptions to organisations benefiting Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and their inhabitants.

Nick Hurd: The Charity Commission is aware of the European Council declaration.

Pay

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average annual salary was for (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average annual salary was for (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available. (137067)
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
	The following table shows median gross annual earnings for employee jobs in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England for full-time males and full-time females, for the tax year ending 5 April 2012.
	
		
			 Median gross annual earnings for full-time males and full-time females(a) in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) North West and (iii) England, for the tax year ending 5 April 2012 
			 £ 
			  Liverpool, Wavertree constituency(b) North West(c) England 
			 Full-time males **28,002 26,749 29,102 
			 Full-time females *28,536 21,700 23,321 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than one year. (b) Parliamentary constituency. (c) UK Region. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <= 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many temporary staff have been recruited to his Department in each month since July 2012.

Francis Maude: In 2011-12 the Government reduced expenditure on temporary staff by £745 million between 2009-10 and 2011-12.We have ensured though an external recruitment freeze that external recruitment is only for urgent operational or business critical posts and approval for external recruitment must first be sought from a ministerial led departmental committee.
	The Cabinet Office recruited 46 temporary employees during the period 1 July to 31 December 2012.
	
		
			  Number 
			 July 2 
			 August 3 
			 September 12 
			 October 13 
			 November 12 
			 December 4